A Family Affair
by RFK
Summary: COMPLETED! The latest battle against a powerful demon becomes a family affair for Cole and the Charmed Ones. Set after "Lessons in Witchcraft VI" - AU between S5 and S6.
1. Chapter 1

TITLE: A FAMILY AFFAIR

AUTHOR: RFK

SERIES: CHA

CODE: All

RATING: PG-13

SUMMARY: The latest battle against a powerful demon becomes a family affair for Cole and the Charmed Ones. Set after "Lessons in Witchcraft VI" - AU between S5 and S6.

FEEDBACK: - Be my guest. But please, be kind.

DISCLAIMER: The Charmed Ones, Leo Wyatt, and Cole Turner belong to Constance Burge, Brad Kern and Spelling Productions. The McNeills and Marbus, are thankfully, my creations.

"A FAMILY AFFAIR" by RFK

CHAPTER ONE

Four men sat inside one of the large conference rooms that belonged to the corporate office of the Giovanni Winery. A long table divided the men into two pairs - like adversaries facing each other before a battle. Three large bay windows overlooked the city of San Francisco and the Bay Bridge, beyond.

"My client is willing to offer you a more than generous sum for the property, Mr. Giovanni," Cedric Lloyd politely said to an elegant, dark-haired man around forty. "At least nine million."

It took great effort on Cole's part not to whistle out loud. Instead, he calmly faced his client and waited for the latter's response. Surprise and desire mingled in Mark Giovanni's eyes. Cole realized that Lloyd's offer had strongly appealed to the wine grower. And no wonder, considering that Giovanni's Oakville property had been valued at six million dollars, one-third less than Lloyd's offer of nine million. By accepting Magan Corporation's offer, Cole's client stood a chance of making a profit of three million dollars.

Giovanni leaned back in his seat with a sigh. "Well, nine million dollars is certainly generous," he finally commented. "However, . . ." He turned to Cole.

The half-demon spoke up. "However, a three million dollar profit is minor compared to what my client could earn by producing wine on the property. After all, Mr. Giovanni's product is world-renowned. So, I'm afraid that my client will . . ." He glanced at the wine grower, who nodded approvingly. ". . . have to turn down your offer."

Disappointment flickered in Lloyd's gray eyes. The other man - formerly introduced as Elliot Clements of Magan Corporation - frowned. "I don't understand," the latter said. "Our offer is more than generous. You have a better chance of making some kind of profit from our offer than growing grapes. Surely you can see . . ."

"My final answer is no," Giovanni firmly interrupted. "Thank you . . . but, no. I suggest that we leave the matter with that answer. Perhaps the Magan Corporation should consider other properties for sale."

Mr. Clements' expression hardened. "Or perhaps you should re-consider our offer, Mr. Giovanni. You just might realize that accepting our offer could have been the best decision to make."

Cole gave Lloyd a hard stare. "I hope that Mr. Clements' words was not a threat, Cedric."

"Of course not!" Lloyd replied with false smile. "I believe that Mr. Clements' temper had simply got the best of him. Mr. Giovanni's answer had been a . . . a bit of a disappointment." He stood up. So did Mr. Clements, who regarded Cole and Giovanni with a stony stare. Lloyd faced the wine grower. "Mr. Giovanni, if no was your final answer . . ."

Giovanni coolly replied, "It was."

"Well," Lloyd's smile chilled slightly, "I can only assume there is nothing else to say. Good day, gentlemen." Upon reaching the door, he paused and turned to stare at Cole. "By the way Cole, give Olivia my best regards." He nodded and left the conference room. Clements, now wearing a forced smile, quickly followed.

Once the door had closed behind the two men, Giovanni turned to Cole. "Now, that was interesting. Nine million dollars? Hagan Corporation must want that property very badly. It's too bad they will never get it."

"I hope you're right," Cole replied, as he gathered his documents.

A frowned marred Giovanni's handsome face. "What do you mean? It's obvious that Hagan has failed in its claim to my property. Especially after you had discovered that old family land grant. What else can they do, aside from this latest attempt to buy it?"

Cole heaved a sigh. "As far as I know, nothing. But considering the corporation's willingness to pay for more than the property is worth, I wouldn't put it past them to try something desperate."

"So, you're saying that I should have accepted the offer?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Cole replied, "I don't know. Normally, I would have said yes. But this is the Hagan Corporation we're speaking of. And from what I've learned, it doesn't have the greatest reputation, considering the numerous lawsuits filed against them. And there have been a few rumors about a few . . . shady incidents regarding past business deals." He paused, as his eyes stared into nothing. "My question is - why are they so interested in your property?"

---------------------------

Arthur Winslow stood before the large glass window that overlooked San Francisco Bay and beyond. Standing at exactly six feet tall, Winslow possessed thick curly brown hair - partially gray, a wide U-shaped face with a hard jaw, and piercing hazel-green eyes. The image he projected could be described by anyone as forceful . . . commanding.

What the general public - especially San Francisco society - did not know was that Winslow happened to be a 275 year-old demon named Artemus. Not only did he serve as the Magan Corporation's CEO and major stockholder, he led one of the most infamous orders in the demonic world - Brotherhood of the Khorne. At the moment, he did not feel particularly pleased by Cedric Lloyd and Elliot Clements' report on their meeting with Mark Giovanni.

"He said no?" Artemus coolly asked. "Giovanni threw the nine million dollar offer back in my face?" He whirled around to face his employees.

Both Lloyd and Clements squirmed with discomfort . . . much to Artemus' annoyance. Did these two have any balls? "Uh . . . well yes, Mr. Winslow," Clements finally answered. "I don't understand it, myself. I felt certain that Giovanni would accept the offer."

"For a moment, it seemed as if he would," Lloyd added. "But . . . in the end, he changed his mind. I suspect that Giovanni realized he could make a bigger profit by using the land as a vineyard and winery. The soil is in excellent condition. However, if something should happen to the soil . . ."

Artemus knew what the attorney was suggesting. Contaminate the Oakville property's soil. Giovanni would sell the land without breaking a sweat. Lloyd's plan seemed sound. However, Artemus had one problem with it. "Once I use the land for my own purpose," he said, "I would be stuck with a piece of invaluable land. Unless I build a couple of homes upon it. I may not be a seer, Mr. Lloyd, but even I can foresee future problems with various governments regarding pollution. Magan Corporation does not need another lawsuit."

Lloyd nodded. "Of course, Mr. Winslow. I understand. However, there is one last suggestion."

"Which is?"

"Mark Giovanni has a wife and two children." Lloyd paused dramatically. "I'm sure they would be willing to sell . . . upon inheriting the property." His eyes never wavered, as they stared at the demon.

Deep admiration welled within Artemus' chest. He could never understand some of his fellow demons' disregard for humans. Artemus had never bought the standard theory that only demons and very few humans were capable of pure evil. His encounters with the other species over the past two-and-a-half centuries had led the demon to believe otherwise. He discovered that humans not only possessed a great potential for evil - mayhem, bigotry, perversions, and murder included - they were also one of the most corruptible beings he has ever encountered. Including the pair who now stood before him.

"Mr. Lloyd, are you suggesting that Mr. Giovanni's time on Earth should be shortened?" Artemus asked.

With a careless shrug, Lloyd replied, "Perhaps."

Clements added, "What about Turner?"

"What about him?" Lloyd shot back. "What's he going to do? Act as Giovanni's bodyguard? He's an attorney."

Artemus allowed himself a private smile. If only they knew. "Mr. Lloyd is right. Cole Turner cannot watch his client's back at every waking moment. Besides, I believe the best time to strike, is when Mr. Giovanni is off-guard. Thank you, gentlemen. I'll see to the matter, myself."

The moment the two humans left his office, Artemus contemplated Lloyd's suggestion to get rid of Giovanni. Clements was right about one thing. Cole Turner, aka Belthazor, could prove to be a problem. Especially since the half-demon had become more powerful than ever, since his return from the Wasteland. Ever since he had heard of Belthazor's fate, Artemus had been curious about how the half-demon accomplished the act.

If he was going to send an assassin after Giovanni, Artemus decided that a low-level demon within his order would perform the deed. Only a demon would have a chance of escape before Belthazor could intervene. The demon reached for the telephone and summoned his assistance to his office.

-------------------------

The California sun broke through the low clouds to beam rays of sunshine upon the gathering being held on an expensive lawn, below. The lawn stretched out behind a large three-story mansion, located in San Mateo, not far from the McNeills' home. The cream of San Francisco society, along with a few local celebrities, had been invited by one of the city' top socialites - Cordelia Morton.

"God, I am bored out of my mind!" Cole murmured fiercely, as he strolled through the crowd with Olivia beside him. "Please explain, again, why I had bothered to accept this woman's invitation?"

Smiling broadly at a passing guest, Olivia replied, "Because Leland and Cordelia Morton are among your firm's biggest clients. And you handle their account." She patted Cole's arm. "Just be grateful that dear Cordelia doesn't have you targeted as a future son-in-law."

"Like poor Harry, huh?" Cole replied. He shot a glance at Olivia's younger brother near the bar. Harry seemed to be struggling to suppress a bored expression, while listening to the soiree's hostess. "How long has this thing between him and Dana Morton been going on?"

Olivia heaved a sigh. "It seems like forever. Actually . . . ever since Harry had made the mistake of asking Dana out for a date, nearly two years ago. It's been on-again, off-again between them, ever since. The idea of Morton millions married to McNeill money must have sent both Dana and her mother into a state of rapture."

The couple continued their stroll, until they came upon Mark Giovanni and a woman, standing near a refreshment table. The wine grower's mouth broke into a wide grin, at the sight of his attorney. "Cole! Good to see you!" You remember my wife, Pamela, don't you?"

A slender woman with blond, thick hair pulled back into a chignon, nodded at Cole. The wine grower's wife possessed a long, equine face that nearly seemed devoid of any color. She was regarded throughout San Francisco society as a socially ambitious woman. Pamela Dean Giovanni looked upon Cole with cool disinterest.

"It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Giovanni," Cole greeted politely.

Mrs. Giovanni's pale eyes flickered briefly. "Have we met?"

"Of course you have, Pam!" Giovanni replied in Cole's stead. "Last February, at Adele Hopkins' charity benefit."

"Oh." Mrs. Giovanni dismissed the half-demon and diverted her attention to Olivia. "Olivia! Darling! It's been quite a while! Where have you been?"

Olivia shot Cole a sardonic glance, before she replied, "Well, other than Europe last June, here in San Francisco."

"But darling, Mark and I hardly ever see you at any of the latest parties, anymore," Mrs. Giovanni protested. "Have we, Mark dear?" The wine grower opened his mouth to speak, but his wife continued. "In fact, it's been over a year."

Since Richard Bannen's death? Cole wondered.

"Well, Cole and I were at Warren Mitchell's New Year's Eve party," Olivia said. "And at Vanessa Probst's charity ball, when you first met Cole, last February."

Pamela Giovanni's voice chilled slightly. "Oh yes. Certainly a party to remember. Oh well, perhaps I haven't been keeping up with everyone, like I should."

With a smile, Olivia added tartly, "Perhaps."

The older couple nodded politely and moved on. Cole released a gust of breath. "Whew! Talk about a chilly encounter. And I thought she had forgotten." The moment his last words left his mouth, he regretted them.

"Forgotten what?" Olivia asked.

Cole pretended that he had not heard her. "Did you say something?"

"You heard me, Turner." Olivia's green eyes penetrated his. "What was Pamela's little cold shoulder all about? What did you hope she had forgotten?"

He sighed. "Okay." Memories of an unpleasant encounter with his client's wife, flashed through Cole's mind. "Remember Vanessa Probst's ball?"

"Yes."

Reluctantly, Cole continued. "Well that night, Pamela Giovanni had cornered me alone in some empty room." He paused. "And tried to . . . you know . . . put the moves on me."

Laughter immediately erupted from Olivia's mouth, drawing stares.

"And what the hell is so damn funny?" Cole demanded, feeling slightly insulted.

Still chuckling, Olivia patted his arm. "Don't worry, honey. I wasn't laughing at you. I was thinking of Pamela. I swear that woman must have chased after half the men of San Francisco." Her mouth curved into a wicked grin. "And with minimal success."

"So, what you're saying is that I'm part of a long line of failures."

Snorting with derision, Olivia added caustically, "A very long line. Of course, she's had her successes. Does . . . ummm, Mark know? About what happened?"

Cole sighed. "Well, I never said anything about what happened, but according to Jackman, Mrs. Giovanni tried to convince her husband to drop me as his attorney and get me fired from the firm." A smile touched the half-demon's lips. "Instead, he regarded the entire matter as a joke."

"Oh! Poor woman. Not only does she suck at infidelity, her husband is a lot better at it."

A familiar presence assailed Cole's senses. He frowned, and glanced around the lawn. "There's someone . . ." Then he sensed another presence. Although not familiar like the first, it possessed an air of danger.

"Who?" Olivia asked. "Do you mean those two?" She pointed at two figures strolling toward the terrace's edge.

Cole frowned. "Phoebe? And Paige? What are they doing here?"

"You don't know?" Olivia replied. "Both Cordelia and Dana Morton are ardent fans of the 'DEAR PHOEBE' column."

---------------------

The two sisters stood near the edge of the terrace, as their eyes swept over the lawn, beyond. "This is so cool!" Paige declared happily. "Reminds of that picnic at Castle Dunleith."

"I don't think you can call this an ordinary picnic, Paige," Phoebe replied.

The younger woman shot back, "Neither was the one in Scotland."

Phoebe continued, "Besides, I wish that Jason was here."

Paige rolled her eyes in disgust. "Don't tell me that you're nervous!" she protested. "C'mon Pheebs! It's not like you never been to one of these swanky functions, before."

"I'm not nervous," Phoebe retorted. "I just never . . . well, I've never been very comfortable attending these kind of functions." The two sisters descended the terrace's steps and merged into the well-dressed crowd. "Unless I'm with Jason."

An exasperated Paige asked, "Then why did you bother to come here?"

"Because I had no choice! Elise had insisted that I come. Especially since Leland Morton happens to be one of Dean Industries' shareholders."

"I thought that Jason owned the newspaper," Paige asked.

Shooting wary looks at the guests, Phoebe replied, "The paper is part of Dean Industries. Although Jason is the major shareholder, he's not the only . . ." A tall man bumped into Phoebe, cutting her reply short. She glanced into a pair of eyes that struck a familiar chord.

The stranger steadied her, by placing his hands on her shoulders. And then the vision appeared, taking Phoebe by surprise. He slowly morphed into an orange-and-black demon that bore a strong resemblance to Belthazor . . . before returning back into human form. "Excuse me," the stranger mumbled in a foreign accent and moved on.

It took another minute before Phoebe finally recovered from being disoriented. She blinked and took a deep breath. "Where . . . where is he?" she demanded.

"Where's who?" Paige frowned at her.

Phoebe continued to scan the crowd. "The guy who had bumped into me. Where is he?"

"Phoebe, what's the big . . .?"

"He's a . . ." Phoebe lowered her voice, as she hissed at Paige, "He's a demon! I saw him. I mean I saw him demonic form. In a vision. Where is he?"

Anxiety flitted across Paige's pale face. "Oh my God! What's he doing here?"

"I don't know," Phoebe said, as she shook her head. "But we've got to find him. Fast! And vanquish him."

Paige hissed, "Are you crazy? In this crowd? Besides, what if we need . . .?"

Another voice added, "Need what?" The two sisters whirled around and found Jack McNeill and a middle-aged woman with dark hair and sharp features, slowly approaching them. Phoebe quickly fought back a surge of panic. She recognized the woman as Cordelia Morton, their hostess. Mr. McNeill continued, "Are you two ladies looking for someone?"

Phoebe hesitated before she finally answered, "Uh, . . . we, uh . . . Paige and I thought we had spotted someone familiar."

"Oh, you mean Cole?" Mr. McNeill added. "We just saw him with Olivia, at the bar."

Paige blurted out, "Cole's here?" Phoebe surreptiously jabbed the younger woman in the side.

Mrs. Morton frowned. "But didn't you just say that you had . . ."

Phoebe quickly added, "I saw him. Paige didn't. I guess I was right." She chuckled nervously.

"Well, if you want me to summon him . . ."

Shaking her head, Phoebe protested, "No! I mean, that's okay. Uh . . . Cole and I . . . Let's just say that the divorce is still a bit soon. For me."

"I see. Well, I hope you're enjoying yourself, anyway." Cordelia Morton smiled brightly. "And I want to just say that I'm a big fan of your column. Now if you'll excuse me." She walked away.

Phoebe sighed with relief. "I didn't think she would ever leave."

"I gather it wasn't Cole you had saw," Mr. McNeill said in a dry tone.

"It was a demon," Phoebe exclaimed. "I had a vision of his demonic self, when I bumped into him."

One of Mr. McNeill's brows rose questioningly. "Him?"

Phoebe described the man. "He was tall . . . about six feet or six-one. Handsome, auburn hair mixed with gray. He looked as if he was in his early or mid-fifties. About 175 or 180 pounds. Broad shoulders, and blue eyes. In fact," she paused, "his eyes looked familiar. And his demonic half looked . . . a lot like Belthazor. Only, he had orange-and-black skin."

"Boy, that's a pretty good description for a brief encounter," Paige added.

Mr. McNeill frowned. "There's also something familiar about that description. Where did this guy go?"

"I don't know," Phoebe said. "I was feeling a little dizzy from the vision." She turned to her younger sister. "Paige?"

The youngest Charmed One shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I think I may have seen some guy head toward the beach." Mr. McNeill started across the lawn. "But I may have been wrong."

But the older witch continued to weave through the crowd and the two sisters followed closely at his heels. They came upon a curved staircase made of stones that led to the beach. Upon reaching their destination, the three witches found Phoebe's demon approaching a couple - a dark-haired man whom Phoebe recognized as Mark Giovanni, and a blond woman.

The demon waved his hand and the couple froze. Actually, Giovanni did. The blond woman whirled around, anger and surprise simmering in her eyes. An energy ball formed in her hand. The female demon threw it at the other demon. The latter quickly lifted one hand and the energy ball shot back at the woman. She incinerated on the spot.

Phoebe gasped out loud. The surviving demon whirled around and stared at the three witches. "What the hell?" he exclaimed.

Knowing that Mr. McNeill's second power was the same as Piper's, Phoebe cried, "Kill him! Before he kills us!"

Mr. McNeill merely continued to stare at the demon, as he murmured, "Don't worry. He won't." He added in a louder voice, "Marbus? Is that you?"

"Bloody hell! Jack McNeill!" Instead of attacking the witch, the demon rushed forth and shook the former's hand. Much to Phoebe's surprise. "How long has it been?"

Smiling, Mr. McNeill replied, "Too long. Almost sixteen years. When you had given me information on that New Zealand sorcerer, back in '86 or '87."

Phoebe and Paige stared at the two males, open-mouthed. "Excuse me!" Phoebe's voice exclaimed. "Mr. McNeill, what are you doing? He's a demon!"

"Yes, I know. Marbus. Don't worry, Phoebe. He's one of the good guys. I first met him back in '67. Didn't Olivia and Cole once told you about the Order of Gimle?"

"Yeah, but . . . That 'good' guy had just killed . . ." She paused, recalling the energy ball in the woman's hand. "What . . . what was she, anyway?"

The stranger replied, "A demon." Phoebe realized that he possessed an Irish lilt. "A low-level demonic assassin named Cassandra. I recognized her the moment I spotted her."

Phoebe gave the stranger a suspicious stare. "And who are you, again?"

"My name is . . ."

"Marbus?" Phoebe and the others glanced at the top of the staircase, and spotted Olivia and Cole. The latter stared at the stranger, wearing a stunned expression. "My God! Marbus! What are you doing here?" Cole rushed down the stairs and enveloped the other demon into a bear hug.

The older demon's lips broke into a happy grin. "I'm here to visit my favorite nephew. What else?"

Phoebe and Paige exchanged confused looks. Nephew?

END OF CHAPTER ONE 


	2. Chapter 2

"A FAMILY AFFAIR" by RFK

NOTE: The Gimle Order was first mentioned in the story, "Lessons in Witchcraft VI-B".

CHAPTER TWO

"Nephew?" Harry declared out loud, three hours later. He, along with his parents, Olivia and the two demons had left the Mortons' soiree and ended up at Cole's penthouse. "Cole is your nephew?"

The older demon nodded. "On his mother's side. Haven't you noticed the resemblance?"

Gweneth McNeill arched a dubious brow. "What resemblance? Cole is taller. He has different features and darker hair.

"Look at the eyes, Gwen," Jack commented. "Both have the same eyes. And they're the same shape and . . ."

Olivia finished, "And same super blue color." She glanced at Cole. "You must have inherited your dad's looks and your mom's eyes."

"His grandfather's eyes," Marbus added.

Jack asked his old friend, "What were you doing at Cordelia Morton's party?"

"I was invited," Marbus replied. "I had arrived in San Francisco to see Cole. We haven't laid eyes upon each other in quite a while."

Cole added, "Not since I had first returned from the Wasteland."

"I had encountered Cordelia at the Mark Hopkins Hotel for afternoon tea, and she invited me to her little party."

Olivia frowned. "You know the Mortons?"

Marbus heaved a long-suffering sigh. "For nearly fifteen years, I'm afraid. My family and I used to encounter them every so often, around Europe. They know me as Miles Farrell."

Harry's eyes grew wide with shock. "The writer?"

A wide smile graced Marbus' handsome face. "Oh, you've read my books? Isn't that nice. Miles Farrell, by the way, is my human name."

"You're part demon like Cole?"

Cole chuckled. "Actually, all demons with a human or humanoid appearance probably have some mortal blood in them. Or were probably former mortals who had ascended to demon hood. Most of them - including Raynor, the Triad and the Source - have refused to admit it."

Marbus added, "Only those demons with no human features, lack any mortal blood. Or else, they're shape shifters."

"You know, I never knew that," Olivia said. "I guess I've always found it odd that a lot of demons looked like humans. I figured they were all shape shifters."

Cole said, "Not all demons are shape shifters."

"Speaking of demons," Jack continued, "why was one after Mark Giovanni?"

A silent pause filled the living room. All eyes focused upon Cole. Who shrugged. "This is news to me. I guess the Magan Corporation must have supernatural connections." He glanced at his uncle. "Have you ever heard of it?"

"Never heard of it, until today," Marbus replied. "If it does have supernatural connections, then the corporation must have been recently formed."

Cole added, "About six years ago." The others stared at him. "I had the corporation investigated, when I first accepted the Giovanni case."

"By me," Olivia added.

Gweneth stood up. "I'm sure that we would all love to continue this conversation," she said, "but Jack and I have an opera to attend." Cole smirked at the sight of Jack McNeill's wince. "And we don't have much time to prepare. And Harry," she said to her youngest, "don't you have dinner with Dana Morton?"

Olivia stared at her younger brother in disbelief. "I thought you were going to break it off with her."

Harry replied lamely, "I changed my mind." Olivia continued to stare at him. "What can I say? She's not all that bad!"

"And Olivia," Gweneth continued, "perhaps you should allow Cole and Marbus a little privacy for a family reunion."

Olivia opened her mouth to protest. But her mother's stare prevented her. Instead, she pouted and said in a morose voice, "If you insist." She stood up and planted a light kiss on Cole's cheek. "I'll see you later. Tell me everything."

Both Harry and Jack rose from their seats, and the four McNeills bid Cole and his uncle good-bye. Once the half-demon closed the door behind him, the older demon asked, "What was that all about? Olivia's last comment?"

A wry smile touched Cole's lips. "Oh. That. Olivia thinks I have a bad habit of keeping too many secrets."

"We all do. It's a family habit," Marbus replied airily.

Cole sighed. "Well, that same habit nearly got me killed, last December. By a group of warlocks from the Crozat coven."

"I heard they had been wiped out. At least the family's warlocks," Marbus said. "Were you responsible?"

Nodding, Cole replied, "Me, Olivia, her brothers and a friend of hers named Cecile Dubois. They were trying to gather enough powers to take over the Source's realm."

Marbus' eyes grew wide with shock. "Warlocks trying to take over the Source's realm? They must have planned to ascend to a demonic state. Anyway, they would have had to deal with two other factions plotting to gain control of the realm." He paused, as a frown appeared on his face. "You know, there's something familiar about those two young women. The ones whose names start with a 'P'. They reminded me of someone I had met, years ago. During my . . . uh, 'dark' years. They're the ones connected to the Warren family, right?"

"The Charmed Ones are descended from Melinda Warren," Cole replied. "I had met Melinda's mother, during a trip to the past, once."

The older demon nodded. "Hmmmm. So, they're the ones who had killed the Source. And you. Were they involved with what happened to the Crozats?"

Cole stared at his uncle. "Marbus, why are you here? And I want the truth."

"I'm here to warn you," Marbus simply stated.

"About the two demonic factions fighting for the Source's realm?"

Marbus shook his head. "No. At the moment, they're no danger to you or the McNeills." He sighed. "But I am here to warn you . . . only not about demons."

Cole frowned. "Then who . . .?"

Marbus paused. "The Whitelighter's Council."

"Huh?"

Heaving a sigh, the older demon repeated, "The Whitelighter's Council. They want you dead, Boyo."

Cole snorted with derision. "What else is new? They've wanted me dead for years."

Marbus reached for the glass of port, sitting on the table next to him. "This is different. You've become more powerful than ever, since your return from the Wasteland. You're mating with a witch from a powerful family - namely the McNeills. And . . ." He paused. "Well, it's your mother."

"What about her?" Cole demanded in an icy voice.

After another pause, Marbus added, "She's the Brotherhood of the Thorn's new leader."

"WHAT?" The news shook Cole to his core.

"Nimue has been the order's leader since last November."

Cole shook his head. "Last Nov . . . Wait a minute! Now, I know that Cliah had taken over the order, after Raynor's death. I remember seeing her, when I was the Source. As head of an order, she was part of my council."

"Yes, and the Charmed Ones killed her, when they killed the Seer and your . . . uh, the Source for the third time." Cole suspected that his uncle was about to say "your son". He kept the thought to himself. Marbus continued, "After Cliah's death, Fylgia took over the order. But he was accidentally killed by Barbas, when the latter had your new powers, last fall. And that's when your mother took over. I hear that she's doing great wonders for the order. Re-organizing and everything . . ."

Still stunned over the news, Cole demanded, "And that's why the Whitelighters want me dead? Because of Mother?"

"Well, that and the fact that you are involved with a powerful witch . . ."

"What does Olivia have to do with this?"

Marbus took a deep breath. "Listen to me, Belthazor." He took another breath and went on to explain everything. Apparently, one of the Elders had announced that a Seer had foreseen both Cole and Olivia playing major roles in the emergence of a new Source. The news had sent the Elders Council in a fit and had ordered one of their whitelighters to end Cole and Olivia's relationship.

"That would be Leo," Cole added. "He is, or used to be Olivia, Bruce and Harry's whitelighter. And my former brother-in-law."

"What?"

"Leo is married to one of the Charmed Ones. Piper. And he also happens to be their whitelighter."

Taking another sip of his port, Marbus said, "Well, I'd keep an eye on him, if I were you."

Cole dismissed the warning with a wave of his head. "C'mon Marbus! What can Leo do? Order the Charmed Ones to kill me? They can't! And I'm not being arrogant. Neither they nor the Elders are strong enough to kill me. Believe me, I'm serious. When Barbas had my powers nearly a year ago, Phoebe and her sisters weren't able to kill him with their Power of Three spell."

Marbus quietly added, "The Elders could always find someone to strip away your powers. Isn't that how Barbas ended up with yours?"

"Actually, it was Paige who managed to strip away my powers. She had been tricked by Barbas." Cole shook his head. "Besides, I can't see the Elders ordering my death after my powers have been stripped away."

Heaving a long-suffering sigh, Marbus retorted, "You don't get it, do you, Boy? Even without your psychic abilities, you'll still have the ability to perform other kinds of magick. I realize that you're unaware of this, but you had that ability when your old powers were stripped away, nearly two years ago. And even if you do marry as a 'mortal', your children will still become magically powerful. They would be inheriting your demonic DNA. And that is the last thing the Whitelighters want. They fear you or your children will reorganize the Source's realm."

Stunned by his uncle's revelation, Cole frowned. "I don't . . . I don't understand . . . Are you saying that even without my active powers, I would remain a threat to them?"

"Didn't you tell me, the last time we had met that the Charmed Ones were able to kill the Source using the Power of Three, despite the fact that two of them had their active powers stolen by that old bastard?"

Cole sighed. "Yeah, I did."

"The Whitelighters' Council do not want a new Source. Well, a lot of us don't exactly find the idea palatable. But at least we realize that a leader in the Source's realm is needed to bring back balance in our supernatural world." Marbus shook his head. "How can a group of beings that consider themselves wise, be so bloody stupid?" He drained the rest of his port.

Placing his whiskey glass on the table, Cole asked, "And what was the name of this whitelighter who told you this?"

"It was two of them. Barbara DeVilliers and Natalia Stepanova. Miss Stepanova used to be a whitelighter for one of Jack McNeill's cousins. He had died last winter."

Cole nodded. "That would be Keith McNeill."

Marbus continued, "The both of them are members of a faction that believe the current Elders Council is out of control, and out of touch. In fact, the Whitelighters Realm has been slowly drifting into chaos, since the Source's last death."

"Yeah, I know all about it, thanks to Olivia's father. According to him, not only are there whitelighters openly questioning the Elders' authority, a good number have defected to the other side. Sounds like a big mess."

Shaking his head, Marbus said, "The whitelighters are in a mess. And so is the demonic world. All of us in the Gimle Order are very worried. You need to keep your eyes open, Boyo. Especially for the whitelighters or any witch who might try to get rid of you."

Images of Phoebe, Leo and Piper flashed in Cole's mind. He dismissed the thought with a shake of his head. "This is ridiculous! The only ones I know who would try to get rid of me are . . ." He paused.

"Are you talking about that Leo fellow? And your wife, Frances?"

Cole corrected his uncle. "Her name is Phoebe and she's my ex-wife."

"Really? When did the divorce go through? The last time we saw each other, you were determined to win her back."

Cole sighed. "It happened last November. Not long after we met."

Marbus smiled. "And you've been courting Jack's daughter ever since, eh?"

"Actually, I've been cour . . ." Cole mentally sighed. "I mean, dating Olivia since late April. However, we've been friends since November. Leo's not exactly thrilled that I'm dating her."

Nodding Marbus replied, "This Leo sounds as if he's still loyal to the Elders. I'd keep an eye on him, as well. And your former in-laws."

A cross between a derisive snort and a chuckle escaped Cole's mouth. "C'mon! You've got to be kidding! Just because Paige had once stripped me of my powers, last . . ." He paused and heaved a sigh. "This is ridiculous."

"This Paige," Marbus continued, "is she . . .?"

Cole finished, "The redhead with Phoebe. Yeah, she's the youngest Charmed One and a half-sister."

"And the one who had given you so much trouble, last year."

"Right now, Paige is the only Halliwell I'm friends with," Cole added.

Marbus said, "But her sisters must know how she had stripped your powers."

"Look Marbus, the Charmed Ones are not going to kill me if I end up as a mortal. Don't worry."

A sigh left the older demon's mouth. "I suppose you're right. You know them best." He stood up and headed for the liquor cabinet. "What about your client? What are you going to do about him?"

"I don't know," Cole murmured. "Thank goodness Olivia and I had managed to convince him that his 'companion' had never accompanied him to the Mortons' beach, without me using my telepathic suggestion power on him. Maybe I'll place him under a protection spell."

Marbus added, "If you like, I could ask the Gimle Order to assign a bodyguard to him."

Cole shrugged his shoulders. "I'll think about it. But what I really need is your help in finding more information on this Magan Corporation. It's odd that not long after Giovanni had rejected their offer, a demonic assassin tries to kill him." Cole drained the last of his whiskey.

Marbus shook his head. "That piece of land must be very important."

----------------------------

Piper stared at her sisters in shock. "Cole has an uncle?"

"From his mother's side," Phoebe's explained. "He's a demon."

"Well gee! No kidding!"

Paige continued, "His name is Marbus and he saved Mark Giovanni from being killed by a demonic assassin."

Suspicion tingled in the back of Piper's mind. But it was Leo who expressed her thoughts. "Why?" he demanded. "Why would he even bother to save an innocent?"

Phoebe shrugged her shoulders, as she threw herself on the sofa. "I don't know. He claimed that he had recognized the woman as an assassin."

"A demonic assassin named Cassandra," Paige added. "I've checked the Book of Shadows. She exists. Or did, until today. And it also seems that Cole's uncle is a member of the Gimle Order."

Leo frowned. "The what?"

Piper turned to face her husband. "Oh, that's right. You've been gone for a while, haven't you?"

"Piper, what are you . . .?"

Paige interrupted. "The Gimle Order is a group of demons who protect the innocent. Like us. They're the good guys."

Shaking his head, Leo declared, "Okay, that doesn't make sense. Maybe there is such a thing as the Grimle Order . . ."

"It's the Gimle Order," Piper corrected. "And they do exist. At least according to our Book of Shadows. Only, the Book states that they're evil."

"There you go," Leo said.

Paige rolled her eyes in disgust. "Leo, according to Cole, the Gimle demons are the good guys."

"He could be lying."

An impatient sigh left Paige's mouth. "But Olivia verified it. She's had experience with them in the past."

"But the Book . . ."

Piper heaved a disgruntled sigh. "The Book is wrong, Leo! And why? Because some whitelighter probably gave one of our ancestors the wrong information!"

"Piper . . ."

Phoebe spoke up, interrupting the couple's argument. "Why don't we go upstairs and check to see if this Marbus is in the Book of Shadows?"

"Good idea," Leo shot back. He brushed past Phoebe and headed straight toward the staircase. The three sisters quickly followed. Upon reaching the attic, Leo strode toward the podium that held the Book of Shadows.

Piper stood behind her husband, as he sifted through the Book. He stopped at a page that featured an orange-and-black demon that looked very familiar. "Oh my God!" Piper exclaimed. "He looks like Belthazor!"

Paige and Phoebe gathered around the podium for a glance. The former replied, "He certainly does. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise, considering that they're related."

Leo added, "It says here that Marbus is an upper-level demon and one of the top assassins in the Underworld. He's also an agent for the Triad."

"Was," Phoebe corrected. "They're dead. Remember?"

"Oh my God," Piper murmured, as she read further description of the demon. "The Book also states that he had killed Lucia Warren Miller, in order to steal something called the Marbury Stone." She paused, as the implication of her words sunk in. "Oh my God! He had killed one of our ancestors!"

"So much for him being a 'good' demon," Leo added sarcastically.

Paige pointed to the corner of the page. "There's a date. May 3, 1823. Apparently, Lucia's death happened nearly 200 years ago. Wow! How old is this guy?"

Phoebe replied, "Who knows? Don't forget. Cole is nearly 120 years old."

"Who cares hold old he is?" Piper retorted. Her eyes remained focused upon the demon's image. "This guy killed one of our own."

Paige dryly shot back, "Yeah Piper. Nearly two centuries ago. And may I remind you that just over a year ago, we had killed his nephew. I'd say that we're pretty even."

There were times Piper wished that her youngest sister would stop bringing up the past. Especially that particular incident inside Cole's penthouse. She opened her mouth to retort, when Phoebe interrupted.

"Whatever happened in the past is over," the middle Halliwell declared. "Paige is right. This incident with Lucia happened 180 years ago. Maybe this Marbus has changed. Maybe he really is part of this Gimle Order. At least we know what it really stands for, thanks to Olivia."

Leo argued, "Maybe she is right about this Gimle Order. But what about Marbus? What if he had lied about being a part of it? What if he had another reason for killing that other demon? Don't forget that when we had first met Cole, he was pretending to be a good guy. He had even killed that demonic judge and that demon who later tried to kill Prue, just to be on your good side."

"Okay Leo. I understand what you're saying. And that's why I think we should keep an eye on this guy."

Paige sighed. "All right. Maybe we should. But I also think we should get to know Marbus. Maybe we can find out the latest news about the Underworld." She paused. "The McNeills' weekly brunch is tomorrow. Why don't we pay them a visit? Cole's uncle might be there."

Oh great! Piper shook her head in disgust. Another Sunday with the McNeills and Cole. And this time, with the latter's uncle. Now there was something to look forward to.

-----------------------

It took one look at his assistant's expression for Artemus to figure out that something had gone wrong. "She failed, didn't she?" he said. "Cassandra had failed to kill Giovanni."

Prax nervously cleared his throat. "I'm . . . uh, I'm afraid so, Artemus. I was there at the party. She had lured Giovanni to the beach, but someone else had followed. Along with a few others."

"Like who?" Artemus demanded.

"Belthazor was there. Along with his McNeill witch and her father. Also, two of the Charmed Ones had followed."

Artemus sighed. "The Charmed Ones. Were they the ones who killed Cassandra? Or was it Belthazor?"

"I don't think so." A frown appeared on the younger demon's face. "There was a man who had reached Giovanni and Cassandra before the others. I thought I had recognized him, but I might be mistaken."

The elder demon courtly demanded, "What are you talking about, Prax?"

"I believe I had seen Marbus. Belthazor's uncle." Prax frowned. "But that can't be right. Isn't Marbus dead?"

Shock overwhelmed Artemus. "Of course he's dead! He can't be . . ." Then he murmured to himself. "Or could it be that Belthazor had never carried out the hit? After all, no one knows I'm . . ."

"Sir?" Prax's face expressed concern. "Artemus, is there something wrong?"

Realization settled within the older demon. "He is alive. Marbus is alive."

"But I heard that Belthazor . . ."

". . . must have spared his life. Of course!" Artemus stared at his assistant. "What do you know about Marbus?"

Prax shook his head. "Not much. Only that he was . . . is Belthazor's uncle and that he used to be one of the Source's assassins."

Artemus chuckled mirthlessly. "He was one of the Source's top assassins. Like his father, his sister and his nephew. That family . . ." He shook his head. "A dangerous bunch. It has produced some of the best assassins that have ever served the Source. Marbus was one. One of his most difficult assignments was a Boston witch who was guarding the Marbury Stone back in the 1820s. Actually, she was a great-grandmother or something to the Charmed Ones. But nearly 40 years later, Marbus had fallen for a wizard named Mauve Donohue. He helped her prevent the Source from destroying a wizard order that was a potential threat."

"You mean, he betrayed the Source," Prax added.

Nodding, Artemus continued, "Yes. Then this Donohue woman had later introduced him to a group of demons have opposed the Source and everything we stood for. The Gimle Order. Bunch of damn good-doers. They had been a craw in the Source's side for centuries."

Prax shook his head. "Good demons? I didn't know there was such a thing."

A sigh left Artemus' mouth. "Unfortuntely, there is. Like all other beings, we demons can be either good or bad. I had a plan to get rid of that damn order for good . . . but, it backfired. Failed. And the Source ended up sending me to that damn prison."

"The Stygian Abyss." Prax paused. "But I had heard that Marbus was killed . . . by Belthazor, himself."

Again, Artemus sighed. "About five years before I was sent to the Stygian Abyss, Raynor - who was head of the Thorn Order and a member of the Source's Council like myself - had framed Marbus with the murder of a powerful witch, hoping that his fellow witches would go after Marbus. They did. Only, another witch named Jack McNeill . . ."

"The father of Belthazor's witch?"

Artemus glared at his minion. "Do you mind not interrupting?" Prax apologized and the older demon continued. "Anyway, McNeill had discovered that Marbus had been framed and prevented him from being killed by the witches. About a year later, two zoltars had tracked Marbus to a villa in Greece. Instead of ordering them to kill him, Raynor had sent Belthazor."

Frowning, Prax asked, "Wouldn't it have been simpler to send another assassin?"

"By then, Belthazor was one of the Source's top assassins." Faint admiration crept into Artemus' voice. "He really was a superb killer. Even better than Marbus, Nimue, or their father, while in their prime. The Triad had suggested that Raynor assign Belthazor to do the job. Either this was one of their tests, or they had genuinely believed that he would kill Marbus with no remorse. Once word had reached the Source of Marbus' death . . ." Artemus paused and allowed himself a wry smile. "As it turns out, Belthazor had faked his uncle's death. Very clever."

An anxious-looking Prax asked, "Do you think this Marbus is a threat?"

"I don't know. But Belthazor certainly is." Artemus walked over to the liquor cabinet and removed a bottle of bourbon. "I have to get him off the Giovanni case. Perhaps getting rid of Marbus should do the trick. Leave him distracted." He poured bourbon into a glass.

"But if you have Marbus killed, wouldn't Belthazor come after us?"

Artemus took a swig of bourbon. "Are you kidding? Belthazor wouldn't rest until he track us down and kill every last one of us." He sighed. "And he would succeed. I promise you."

Prax began, "So how do you plan . . .?"

A crafty smile curved the demon's lips. "I'm afraid that poor Marbus is going to find himself hunted by witches, again. Only this time, by the Charmed Ones." He sighed with deep anticipation. "How I would love to be a fly on the wall, when Belthazor goes after those three."

END OF CHAPTER TWO 


	3. Chapter 3

"A FAMILY AFFAIR" by RFK

CHAPTER THREE

Paige smiled at the handsome, middle-aged man who sat next to her. She sunk her fork into the quivering slice of quiche on her plate. "So," she began, "you're really Cole's uncle?"

"Marbus." The demon smiled back. "I'm his mother's older brother."

"When we first met you at the Mortons', you had introduced yourself to Mark Giovanni as Miles Farrell." Paige paused. "Are you really the same Miles Farrell, who had written SO FAR AWAY? I had read it in college."

Marbus nodded. "Yes, I'm that same Miles Farrell. I use that name, while I'm among mortals."

"How old are you?"

Olivia could not believe what she had just heard. "Paige!" Did the woman ever heard of tact?

Another smile graced Marbus' lips, eerily reminding Olivia of Cole. "Don't worry. I don't mind." He added, "I'm 243 years-old. I was born in 1760. In Dublin, believe it or not. My mother was residing in the mortal world, when she gave birth to me."

Phoebe frowned. "So that makes you at least . . . what? One hundred and twenty-five years older than Cole?"

"That's right."

Olivia heaved a sigh, as she scooped a forkful of Eggs Florentine from her plate. "Was Cole's mother also born in the mortal world?" she asked.

Again, Marbus nodded. "Same place. Dublin. She was born in 1775. Our mother loved Ireland."

"No wonder," Paige wryly commented. "Who could stand the Underworld, with all those rocks and caverns? Must be depressing, down there."

Marbus chuckled. "Trust me. There are places within the Source's realm that is more pleasing to the eye." He paused, as he took a sip of his juice. "Mind if I ask you a question, Paige? Why do you use the word - Underworld - to describe the Source's realm?"

"Huh?" The youngest Charmed One blinked.

Piper spoke up. "Isn't that where all of the demons come from? The Underworld?"

"Actually Piper, the Underworld is considered by many as a place for the dead," Olivia's mother explained. "Where the spirits of the dead reside temporarily before they ascend to another dimension or are reborn into other bodies. I believe that the Wasteland is one place in the Underworld where certain demons end up." Gwen smiled politely at Piper. "Of course, some of the newer religions view the Underworld as Hell. I think it has something to do with a fear of death. Many are so afraid of it, they consider it evil."

Cole added, "Like Prue."

The Halliwells stared at the half-demon. "Excuse me?" Piper demanded.

Unfazed by the oldest Charmed One's hostility, Cole continued, "Remember when Prue had that encounter with Death? It was around the time those two Seekers were after me. Prue thought Death was evil."

Piper's hostility faded. "Oh. Oh yeah. Now I remember." She then gazed at Marbus. "By the way, have you ever known a witch named Lucia . . .?"

"When did you first join the Gimle Order?" Paige asked, interrupting her older sister. Olivia noticed how she ignored Piper's dark look.

Marbus stared at the two sisters. "I had joined in 1861." He paused. "So, you know about the Gimle Order. I gathered that our host and hostess must have told you. Not many outside the supernatural world know about it."

"It's mentioned in our Book of Shadows," Piper coolly remarked. "I guess a lot of mortals find the idea of a 'good demon' hard to accept."

Gran added, "Not in Wiccan circles, dear. In fact, we don't believe in demons. Daemons, but not demons." She frowned. "I thought Olivia had given you all had a lesson on this."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Oh. Yeah."

"If you must know . . . Piper? Is that your name?" Marbus asked. The Charmed One nodded. "If you must know, I was a top assassin for the Source for nearly eight decades, before I gave it up and joined the Gimle Order."

"So, you did know . . ."

Again, Paige interrupted, "I'm surprised that you were able to maintain contact with Cole and his mom all this time. Considering that you were all on different sides of the fence."

"Well, we're family," Marbus simply stated. "What can I say? Blood is blood. Not even the Source and his advisors could come between us. Although they did try."

Jack nodded. "You're talking about the Source's contract on your life, right?"

Cole grunted. "Are you kidding? The zoltars were after him for over a century, before they finally caught up with him. But I was the one assigned to kill him." He shrugged his shoulders. "But I couldn't go through with it. He was family. So Mother helped me fake his death."

Phoebe asked the older demon, "So what are you doing here?"

Olivia noticed the brief exchange shared between the two demons. "To see Beltha . . . uh, Cole," Marbus finally answered. "I haven't seen him since his return from the Wasteland. But with this trouble he's having with his client, I might just stick around for a while. Help him out."

"That's it?"

Marbus shrugged casually. "What other reason can there be?" Olivia regarded him with thoughtful eyes.

--------------------

"You have no intention of telling them." Olivia said to Marbus, later that afternoon. She, Cole and the older demon had returned to Cole's penthouse, following the brunch. "Do you?"

Marbus stared at Cole, who added, "I told her everything."

"I figured as much. Especially, after Jack and I had a little discussion about the matter."

Olivia continued, "What about Leo and the girls? Are you going to keep them in the dark? About the whitelighters' desire to get rid of Cole?"

Coolly, Marbus brushed a piece of lint or two from his jacket. "I'm sure that they're well aware of what the Whitelighter Council want." He paused, "Of course, if you find it hard to believe . . ."

"Who said I did?" Olivia allowed herself a mirthless chuckle. "In fact, I'm not really surprised. That would explain Leo's constant nagging that I end my relationship with Cole. But what can he do? Other than strip Cole of his powers? As far as we know, no one's that strong."

Cole added in a low voice, "Except for Dako."

"Who?" Marbus demanded with a frown.

Olivia told the older demon about their encounter with the spirit of an 18th century Vodoun sorcerer, last December. "Even though he had possessed the body of a friend of mine, Cole wasn't able to kill him or do any major harm. And it was the same for Dako."

"Bloody hell!" Marbus looked upset. "You mean to say there is some bokor, running about just as strong as Belthazor?"

"Don't worry," Olivia replied. "He's gone. A friend of mine, who's a Vodoun priestess, managed to send his spirit back to the Underworld."

Looking somewhat alarmed, Marbus demanded, "Is there anyone else who knows about this Dako?"

"Phoebe and her sisters," Cole said. "The McNeills and Leo. And before your mind starts forming scenarios, Dako had nearly killed Paige in an attack and tried to rip Piper's baby out of her womb. I really don't see the Charmed Ones bringing his spirit back from the Underworld."

Olivia added, "Or the Whitelighters Council, for that matter." She paused. "Do you?"

"No," Marbus answered. "I don't see them going that far. Besides . . . the two whitelighters who had warned me, weren't sure that the entire Council was plotting against Cole . . . uh, Belthazor. It's possible that one or several Elders want him dead as an excuse to assume leadership of the Realm."

Both Cole and Olivia stared at the older demon. "What?" the former demanded.

Marbus looked embarrassed. "I forgot to tell you that, didn't I?"

"Marbus!"

The older demon took a deep breath. "Now, let me get my facts straight." He paused for another minute or two. "According to Ms. DeVilliers and Ms. Stepanova, they had accidentally stumbled across a research project going on. One that involved in methods on how to kill you, Belthazor. Although they had questioned the whitelighters involved in the research, no one seemed willing to talk. However, the Elders Council has been forthright about their fears you will reorganize the Source's realm. Ms. DeVilliers believes that someone - possibly one or more of the Elders - are being mum about this research. She thinks that even the Council is in the dark."

"Cole's death would be quite a coup for whomever arranges it," Olivia said. A thought came to her. "Why are these two particular whitelighters so against Cole being vanquished?"

"Because they don't consider him a threat, but a valuable ally," Marbus answered. "And they feel that the Source's death was a big mistake. Like the rest of us, they feel that the chaos in the Source's realm would spread to other magical realms. And it has."

Olivia shook her head. "But it's not like Paige and her sisters had deliberately went after the Source." Cole gave her a long look. "Okay, except that one time when Cole was possessed. But other than one incident, they really had no choice but to kill the Source. I mean, the guy wouldn't stop coming after them."

Cole sighed. "She's got a point, Marbus."

"I understand," Marbus said with a nod. "All the same lad, I suggest you keep a steady eye out for any trouble. If you want to tell Fran . . . uh, Phoebe and her sisters about the Elders, fine. But I don't think they will believe you."

A long-suffering expression appeared on Cole's face. Olivia reached over to give his arm a reassuring squeeze. "Poor baby. You really have a lot to deal with right now, don't you?"

"No kidding!" Cole shot back. "Some Elder wants me dead." He snorted with derision. "No surprise there. And I also have this Magan Corporation to deal with."

Olivia frowned. "You know, that name sounds familiar. I just can't put my finger on it. What's the CEO's name?"

Cole replied, "Arthur Winslow. I've discovered a few things about him."

"Of course!" Olivia exclaimed. "San Francisco's mystery man!"

"What?"

Olivia continued, "Now I remember. Arthur Winslow had arrived in San Francisco about . . . oh, six or seven years ago, I think. He had appeared once at a party. Don't ask me what he looks like. No one from the family had attended the party. Bruce, Harry and I didn't care less about attending. Gran had been visiting her sister in Virginia, at the time. And Mom and Dad were out of the country. But all of society was talking about him. He made one appearance and was never seen again. Like Howard Hughes. What do you know about him?"

"Well, he was born in Pittsburgh," Cole finished. "Around May 1951. He had attended Northwestern University and received his Bachelor's in 1973. He received his Master's in Business from Harvard in '75." Cole went on to explain that Winslow had worked at various corporations, before starting his own business consultant firm in 1985. The CEO eventually switched from consultant to corporate raider within a few years. "Around '92 or '93, he eventually formed Magan Corporation and moved the firm to San Francisco about four years later. Oh, uh he married a Lydia Black in 1989 and became a widow, three years later. No children."

Pure admiration hummed in Olivia's voice. "Impressive! You really did your homework, did you?"

"Of course. I didn't become one of the Source's top assassins for nothing. You know what they say - 'Information is power'.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "That's great, Cole. But what if all that information you had gathered is fake? Were you able to find Winslow's private address?"

Cole hesitated. "No. Nor any photographs of him, since his arrival to this city. Like you said, quite the mystery man."

"Or the demon," Marbus commented. "He sounds a little too mysterious to be true. And sending a demon to kill your client was a mistake. It exposed this Winslow. Or whoever in his organization had connections to Cassandra. It's possible that one of Mr. Winslow's employees is pulling the company's strings behind his back."

Cole added, "Or pulling Mr. Winslow's strings."

Olivia gave a little shiver. "Don't you just love a mystery?"

The half-demon retorted, "No, I don't. And what's even worse is that I now have two to deal with." He paused. "What about Paige and the others? Are you going to tell them about the two whitelighters?"

"I don't know," Olivia said with a shrug. "Maybe I'll tell Paige. I don't think this is something I should keep to myself. Do you?"

Cole shot back, "Yes, but I know you're not going to listen to me, and tell her, anyway." A large sigh escaped from his mouth. "I should have known my good luck wasn't going to last long. What other kinds of shit are the fates going to dump in my path?"

------------------------------

A slender, feminine figure with short, curly pale-blond hair and dark-blue eyes that matched her dress, appeared before Artemus in a cloud of smoke. She smiled at the demon. "Artemus. It's good to finally meet you. I believe that you had summoned me?"

Artemus rose from his chair to greet the darklighter. "So, you're Nina Ziegler, I believe. Have a seat."

"Thank you." The darklighter gracefully eased into a blue Chippendale chair that faced Artemus' desk. Her eyes examined the rich furnishings inside the demon's library. "Exquisite," she commented. "You have excellent tastes. I hope to acquire something similar for my home, in the future."

The demon walked over to the liquor cabinet. "Perhaps I can help you. Would you like a drink?"

"Scotch whiskey, please."

Artemus poured a glass of malt Scotch whiskey into a glass and handed it to Nina. "How long have you been a darklighter, by the way?"

Nina took a sip of her Scotch. "Fifteen months. Why?"

"For one who hasn't been a darklighter very long, you've become quite accomplished."

A long silence followed. The glass hovered at Nina's lips, while she gave the demon a hard stare. "Pardon me for asking, but what do you want, Artemus?"

The demon finally answered, "I need a fellow demon killed."

"Hire another to do it."

"I need this demon to be killed by witches."

"You've got the wrong woman," Nina shot back. "I haven't been a whitelighter for over a year and no longer have any contact with my former charges."

Artemus sighed. "Yes, I realize that, Miss Ziegler. But what I need is information. Have you ever heard of Marbus?"

Nina took another sip of whiskey, while she contemplated Artemus' question. "Wasn't he a high-level demon? One of the old Source's top assassins? I heard that a relative of his had killed him."

"I'm afraid that you're behind the times." Artemus walked over to the leather chair behind his desk and sat down. "Marbus had betrayed the Source over 140 years ago, and joined the Gimle Order." He paused. "Have you heard of them?"

A sneer marred Nina's pretty face. "Of course, I have. Unlike a number of my former colleagues in the Whitelighters Realm, I've been aware of the Gimle Order's true calling. Are you saying that you want this Marbus killed by witches? But how? He was killed by another demon, nearly 40 years ago."

"Marbus is still alive," Artemus declaring, relishing in the darklighter's surprise. "His nephew, Belthazor, was supposed to kill him. Apparently, Belthazor decided to spare him and fake his death, instead."

Nina frowned. "Is this the same Belthazor who had married one of the Charmed Ones? Who had been the Source?"

"Now, you're on the right track," Artemus said with a smile. "Only Belthazor had been possessed by the Source's spirit, at the time. Because of that, the Charmed Ones eventually killed him, and . . ."

". . . he returned from the Wasteland, more powerful than ever," Nina finished. "Yes, I know all about that. But why do you want witches to kill Belthazor's uncle?"

Artemus sighed. "I'm interested in a certain piece of property in Santa Rosa County. Unfortunately, Belthazor stands in my way. Like his uncle, he has defected to the other side of the fence. He now practices law in this city and one of his clients owns that particular piece of property. I want this client out of the way, in order to get my hands on said property. And in order for me to do this, I need Belthazor out of the way. Or distracted. Or even alienated by his new loved ones."

A smirk curved Nina's pink lips. "Oh, I see. If you kill Marbus, you'll have a pissed-off Belthazor on your trail. But if witches were to kill Marbus, he would go after them. And become distracted with protecting his client." Nina finished the rest of her drink. "The only witches I know who are powerful and clever enough to kill this Marbus are either the Charmed Ones or the McNeill coven. Both are here in San Francisco. And all of them, save the McNeill elders, are charges of a former colleague of mine. Leo Wyatt."

"So, who would you recommend?" Artemus asked.

The darklighter hesitated for a minute. "Hmmm, the Charmed Ones." Artemus smiled. "The only way to get witches to kill your Marbus is to frame him for the death of another witch or a mortal. The McNeills are known for being a suspicious and careful bunch. They can smell a rat at ten paces. The Charmed Ones, on the other hand . . ."

". . . are powerful and smart enough to kill Marbus," Artemus finished. "But, they have this little tendency to act before thinking."

Nina added, "Plus, Belthazor already has a grudge against them. They had killed him with extreme prejudice, when he had been possessed by the So . . ." Her voice drifted into silence. Artemus frowned at her. "I just remembered. One of the Charmed Ones - Belthazor's former mate - has the power of precognition. She's a seer . . . although not a very good one, in my opinion. All you have to do is arrange for her to receive a vision of Marbus killing an innocent . . ."

Artemus interjected, "Mark Giovanni."

"Of course." Nina nodded. "Once the Halliwell witch receives this vision, she and her sisters will go after Marbus with a vengeance."

"And how do you plan to arrange this?"

Nina blinked. "Me?"

Smiling, Artemus added, "You thought up this plan, not me. Besides, I would consider it a favor . . . that will be handsomely rewarded upon its success."

The darklighter stared at her host. "Well . . . uh, there's this warlock . . ."

Prax entered the office, interrupting Nina. "Pardon me, Artemus, but I have received a message from Kelson."

Artemus explained to his guest, "A warlock I had installed as a spy within Giovanni's organization. Go on, Prax."

"According to Kelson, Giovanni has just hired a new bodyguard for his home. Kelson has recognized her."

"Her?"

Nodding, Prax continued, "Yes, Kelson gave me a description. Her name is Andrea - a half-demon with the Gimle Order."

Artemus dismissed his assistant. "Thank you, Prax. Tell Kelson to refrain from any action, at this moment." Prax left the office, as Artemus returned his attention to the darklighter. "Before we set this plan of yours into action, I suggest we have a test run. What exactly does this warlock of yours, do?"

Nina hesitated. "He's a telepath. And one of my former charges. He had defected with me, to the other side. I can hire him to give visions to Belthazor's former mate of Marbus killing an innocent."

"Before you do, why don't we start with Mr. Giovanni's new bodyguard, first?"

Nina responded with an unpleasant smile. "If you insist."

END OF CHAPTER THREE 


	4. Chapter 4

"A FAMILY AFFAIR" by RFK

CHAPTER FOUR

Two days following her meeting with Artemus, Nina Kriegler paid a visit to an old colleague from her days as a whitelighter. Harold Vernoff was a former witch who had crossed over to becoming the very thing he used to fight against. In Vernoff's case - a warlock. A strong telepath, the warlock possessed chestnut-brown hair that fell over his forehead, wide brown eyes and smooth pale skin. Instead of the thirty-six year-old man that he happened to be, he resembled a college student.

The darklighter and the warlock greeted each other with a hug. Then Nina went about explaining the reason behind her visit. When she finished, Venoff's mouth hung opened in shock. "You . . . you want me to do what?"

"Send a vision to a seer," Nina patiently explained. "She's a witch named Phoebe Halliwell. Have you . . .?"

"Ever heard of her?" the warlock finished. "Yeah! She's a Charmed One, Nina! And very powerful!"

Nina sighed. "Yes Harold, she is a powerful witch. But she doesn't possess a telepathic power." A wicked smile stretched her lips. "And you're strong enough to mess with her mind."

Vernoff continued to stare at his former whitelighter. "Okay, say that I can do it." He paused. "What kind of images will I be sending to her?"

Realizing that the warlock had risen to the bait, Nina pulled out a yellow envelope from her large handbag. "Inside, you'll find photos of those involved in the vision." The darklighter tossed a photograph of a dark-haired man around forty, on Vernoff's coffee table. "He's a mortal named Mark Giovanni. You'll send the witch an image of him being killed by this person . . ." Nina removed a recently snapped photograph of a female in a guard's uniform. "Have her kill the mortal, using energy balls."

"Energy balls?" Vernoff frowned. "What exactly is she?"

Nina replied, "A demon by the name of Andrea. She's a member of the Gimle Order."

"What the hell is the Gimle Order, and why do you want to have witches go after this . . .?"

Nina brusquely interrupted, "I'll explain later, Harold. Meanwhile, can you do as I ask? There's a great deal of money involved, for you."

Nodding, Vernoff replied, "Yeah, I'll do it. How soon?"

"Tomorrow evening."

----------------------

Phoebe entered the Halliwell manor and slammed the door shut. "I'm home!" she cried and walked into the empty living room. "Hello? Piper? Paige? Is anyone home?"

A voice cried from the kitchen, "I'm in here!" Piper.

After dumping her purse on the sofa, Phoebe headed for the kitchen, where she found her older sister preparing dinner. "Hey! Aren't you home, early?" Piper glanced at the clock. "It's only four forty-five. You're usually home by five-thirty."

Phoebe sighed, as she eased into an empty chair. "I managed to finish most of my work, early, so I left. I didn't feel like hanging around any longer than it was necessary."

"You're not thinking of Cole, are you?"

Piper's question threw Phoebe into a loop. "Huh?" She frowned at the older woman. "What makes you . . .?" Realization struck Phoebe. "Oh, I get it. You've been thinking of Cole. Or should I say, his uncle?"

"No, I haven't." Piper's petulant reply came a little too quick.

"Piper . . ."

The oldest Charmed One finally capitulated. "Okay, maybe I have. I just . . . I don't know, Phoebe. A demon protecting the innocent? Doesn't that sound a little odd to you? And how come we've never encountered one, before?" Phoebe opened her mouth to respond. "Oh, I know," Piper continued. "There was Cole. But he had only done it for you. And now, for Olivia. It's not the same."

Keeping her emotions in check over the mention of her ex-husband and his girlfriend, Phoebe replied, "The McNeills don't seem to find the idea unbelievable. In fact, they've had experiences with demons like Marbus, before. And I've been reading more detailed books on Wicca, lately. It seems Olivia and her family had been right about how Wiccans don't believe in inherently evil beings like demons and such. And after our experiences with Cole, that demon Riggerio, and Cole's uncle . . . maybe they're right."

Piper sighed. "Look Phoebe, can we talk about this, later? It was bad enough finding out that after five years as witches, our knowledge of witchcraft is at best, minimal; and that we haven't really been initiated as witches. Now Cole's uncle shows up and . . . I don't know. Everything seems to be getting more confusing. I just don't want . . ."

A cheerful voice cried from the living room, "Hey! I'm home! Where is everybody?"

"In the kitchen!" Phoebe shouted back.

A minute later, Paige stomped into the kitchen, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Good evening, family!" she greeted happily.

Phoebe stared at her half-sister through narrowed eyes. "What did you do? Take a happy pill?"

"Actually, I've got some good news!" Paige hesitated for a moment. "Your little sister just got a raise, today. After working at Ostera's for six months."

Piper looked surprised. "So soon?"

Paige added, "Well, considering that I had to managed the shop for three weeks, while Barbara and Bruce were on their honeymoon . . ."

"I thought the trip to Europe was your reward?"

Frowning at her oldest sister, Paige complained, "Gee Piper, why can't you just congratulate me? Why did you have to make a fuss over what seems to me, good news?"

"I'm not . . ." Piper turned to the middle sister. "Phoebe, am I fussing?"

Before Phoebe could answer, Paige continued, "Yes Piper, you are. And I think I have a pretty good idea, why. You're jealous."

"I beg your pardon?"

Paige added, "You're jealous of my friendship with Barbara and Olivia. In fact, you had acted the same way, when I told you about the trip to Europe."

Piper snorted with derision. "Please! Why would I be jealous over Barbara? She's your boss." Once again, she turned to Phoebe. "Do I seem like I'm jealous?"

Phoebe began, "Well . . ." A vision struck her before she could continue her reply. She saw a uniformed female approach Mark Giovanni, as he walked across his lawn. The female's eyes flashed red before she killed the wine grower with an energy ball. And just like that, the vision ended.

A gasp left Phoebe's mouth, as she grabbed the table's edge. "Oh my God," she murmured. "Ohmigod! We've got to stop her."

"Pheebs, are you okay?" Piper asked, looking concerned. "What happened? A premonition?"

Breathing heavily, Phoebe replied, "It's Mark . . . Mark Giovanni. I saw him being attacked by a demon. At his house."

"Then, let's go," Piper said, as she ceased chopping vegetables.

Phoebe protested, "Wait a minute, Piper! The attack doesn't happen until dusk. And how are we going to explain ourselves to Mr. Giovanni?"

A sigh left Piper's mouth. "And I need a babysitter for Wyatt."

"Why don't we just tell Cole to take care of this demon?" Paige suggested. "After all, this is his client, we're talking about."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Listen, we don't need Cole's permission to save his client. All we need to do is simply vanquish the demon before he . . ."

"She," Phoebe corrected.

". . . before she can kill this Giovanni person." Piper removed her apron. "First, let's call Leo." She called out her husband's name several times, before he finally appeared.

The blond-haired whitelighter appeared in a sparkle of blue lights. "Is dinner ready?" he asked. When the sisters failed to reply, he added, "Something wrong?"

"We need you to take care of Wyatt, until we get back," Piper replied. "We have a demon to vanquish."

Paige spoke up. "Before we do, shouldn't we check the Book of Shadows to see what we'll be up against?" Phoebe and Piper agreed and Paige teleported the Book of Shadows into her hands. She opened it. "Pheebs, if you see the demon from your premonition, just holler."

Phoebe poured through the Book, page by page. To her consternation, not one demon in it matched the description of the one she had envisioned. "Great!" she finally cried out in frustration. "She's not in the Book and we don't know how to vanquish her."

"Yeah, and it's almost dark," Paige added.

Piper sighed. "Okay, why don't we just go and take care of this demon. If my power doesn't work, we'll use the old 'Power of Three' chant." The other two nodded. "Leo, keep an eye on Wyatt. We should be back, soon." All three sisters joined hands, as Paige orbed them out of the house.

----------------------

Andrea felt bored. She tried not to be. She tried to remember what Marbus had told her about the mortal she now protected. That the latter was in danger of being attacked by an assassin. Also, she tried to remember that said mortal also happened to be a client of Marbus' nephew - Belthazor. But patrolling the mortal's estate, while wearing this ridiculous outfit, was slowly boring Andrea to tears.

It had not taken much effort for her to win a position as bodyguard on Giovanni's estate. All Andrea had to do was show up, begging for a job. The mortal took one look at her - pretty face, long dark hair, wide brown eyes and curves that would stop traffic - and hired her on the spot.

During the two days since she had joined the Giovanni household, no other demon had bothered to attack the mortal. Instead, Andrea found herself fending off Giovanni's attempts to flirt with her. The demon wondered how his wife could endure such a man. Until she came upon the blond, horse-faced woman making advances at the pool cleaner. Andrea sighed. She felt more like a cast member of a daily soap opera, than bodyguard of a prominent San Francisco businessman.

She glanced up from her musings and saw a dark-haired man approaching her with a drink. It was Mark Giovanni. Andrea's body tensed, as she anticipated another advance. "Good evening, Mr. Giovanni," she politely greeted.

A smarmy grin curved the mortal's lips. "And good evening to you, Ms. Duscany. Would you like a drink? It's a glass of one of my finest Chardonnays." He held out the glass of wine.

Andrea responded with a polite smile. "Thank you for the offer, sir. But I'm on duty."

"Oh come on. Just one drink."

Shaking her head, the demon repeated her answer. "Really sir, thank you but no. I don't . . ."

Three women materialized behind Giovanni, taking Andrea off guard. Here it is, she thought. A demonic attack.

The oldest woman immediately threw her hands up. For a brief moment, it seemed as if time had frozen. For Mr. Giovanni, it certainly had. Then Andrea broke the spell by moving. She allowed a fireball to form in her palm. "Whoever you are, leave! Now!"

"Oh my God!" cried another woman. "Piper, freeze her!"

The first woman replied, "I can't. My freezing power doesn't work on her! The Power of Three chant!"

The Power of Three? Andras frowned. The only people she knew who were called that were . . .

The three women began to chant, "The Power of Three will set us free! The Power of Three will set us free!"

At that moment, Andrea realized that she was facing the Charmed Ones. They must think that she was after Giovanni. "Wait a minute!" she cried. "You've got it all wrong! I'm not . . ." Andrea's words fell upon deaf ears, as the witches continued their chant.

"The Power of Three will set us . . ."

Smoke and flames began to touch Andrea's skin. She screamed in pain. So this is how it ends. Killed, while being mistaken for evil. The smoke and flames had now engulfed her. She screamed one last time, before everything faded to black.

----------------------

"What do you mean she's missing?" Cole demanded over the telephone. "Who are you . . .?" He paused, while he listened to Giovanni's agitated conversation. "Whoa! Slow down, Mark! No, I can't explain how she had disappeared like that. When did you . . . ?"

Giovanni continued his babbling. He had called ten minutes ago with disturbing news. One of his bodyguards had mysteriously disappeared. A guard named Andrea Duscany. A deep suspicion gnawed at the back of Cole's mind. Had this Duscany woman been a member of the Gimle Order? Had Marbus went ahead and assigned someone to guard his client? Cole, himself, had placed a protection spell around Giovanni's house. Apparently, it did not last very long. Marbus' demon had disappeared . . . but the wine grower managed to survive.

"Look Mark," Cole finally said, "I suggest that you say nothing about this incident. Not to the police, to your staff or even your family. The moment you do, you'll be placed inside the nearest mental ward." He sighed. "Just chalk it up to a mysterious disappearance and leave it at that." Cole paused, while his client continued to ramble. "Yeah, yeah I remember you telling me about the woman who had disappeared from the Mortons', last Saturday." Again, Giovanni spoke. "Yes, I agree Mark. This is all beginning to sound a little odd. Like I said . . . keep it to yourself. Oh, and I would hire another bodyguard, if I were you. Good-night, Mark." Cole hung up and heaved a large sigh.

Seconds later, Marbus appeared in his living room. "We have trouble," he declared anxiously.

"Are you referring to the disappearance of a Ms. Andrea Duscany?" Cole's uncle stared at him. "Yeah, I just received a call from Mark Giovanni. He's in a state of panic, right now."

Frowning, Marbus said, "So, you know about Andrea's death?"

"She's dead?"

Marbus nodded. "Definitely. But I don't understand. How was Andrea killed? I thought you had placed a protection spell around Giovanni? How did a demon or a warlock managed to slip by and kill her? And why spare your client?"

"I don't know," Cole growled. "Maybe the assassin slipped through by entering the house, physically. That's how Claudia Della Scalla and her cronies managed to get past the McNeills' protection spell, on Bruce's wedding day."

Marbus hesitated. "Claudia Della Scalla? The succubus? I had heard that her entire coven was destroyed. You?"

Cole shrugged. "Only a handful. Olivia's grandmother, Harry, Paige and a Stregheria witch had done most of the damage." He sighed. "As for Mark . . . well, now I have to find him a new bodyguard. Someone who can get close to him."

"I'll do it," Marbus volunteered.

"What?"

The older demon repeated his words. "I'll do it. I can't sacrifice another member of the order, without him or her knowing what's going on."

Cole shook his head. "I can't pass you off as a bodyguard. Besides, aside from morphing into your demonic self, you can't shape shift. I can do it for . . ."

"Don't bother, lad. Your Mr. Giovanni and I had met, last Saturday. It turns out that he's a fan of my novels. By the time I'm finished with him, we'll be chums."

Why not? Cole felt certain that his uncle would be more than capable of protecting Giovanni. "Okay," he said. "Sounds like a good idea. By the way, why didn't you tell me that you had assigned someone from your order to guard Mark?"

Confusion whirled in Marbus' blue eyes. "Didn't you tell me to go ahead and do it?"

"No, I said I would think about it." Cole sighed. "Never mind. What's done is done. I only hope you would have better luck than poor Andrea."

-----------------------

The bell hanging over Ostera's door rang, announcing a new visitor to the shop. Paige glanced up and saw Harry McNeill enter the shop. "Hi!" she greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to buy some dill weed." Harry paused. "It's for dinner, tonight."

The words came out of Paige's mouth, before she could stop herself. "Have a date with Dana Morton, tonight?" Oh God! Why did she sound like a jealous shrew?

Harry stared at her for a brief moment. "No, I don't. It's for Mom. Besides, if I had a date with Dana, I would have taken her to a restaurant. Why did you ask?"

Paige shook her head. "It's nothing. I'll see if I can find a package for you." She walked around the counter and headed for the far corner of the store.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Harry cried. Paige paused in her tracks. "I found a store where you can buy your magick tools at a bargain price. It's on Ashbury. I'll take you there, myself. Perhaps this evening. I could use a little extra shopping."

Dana Morton forgotten, Paige smiled. "Sounds like a great idea. Why don't you pick me up around seven-thirty?"

"Okay."

"Meanwhile, let me get your dill weed for you." Paige continued toward the back of the store for Harry's request. After a long search, she finally found the herb, and returned to the front counter. There, she found Barbara in deep conversation with Harry.

". . . very anxious over that plant," Barbara was saying. "And I don't blame him."

Harry cried, "You mean to say that Dad hasn't found a way to get rid of that plant, yet? It's been over four months, now."

Barbara sighed. "Your dad thinks he might have to take the plant back to India."

"India?" Harry shook his head. "During the summer? That's like going to Florida. Or New Orleans. Just thinking of all that excessive heat makes me want to sweat."

"Well, your mother certainly wants it out of the house," Barbara said. "And so do I. If Osbourne wasn't already dead, I would strangle him for dumping that plant on . . . oh Paige! You got Harry's purchase?"

Smiling, Paige placed the bag of dill weed on the countertop. "Right here. Are you guys talking about that Soma plant?"

Harry replied, "Yeah, it seems that Dad's latest attempt to get rid of it, has failed. I guess no one wants to deal with a plant that gives immortality. Looks like he's going to India."

"Wow! India during the summer," she said in a sardonic voice. "Sounds like fun." Recalling yesterday evening's excitement, she added, "Hey, guess what happened to us, last night. Well, more like yesterday evening. Piper, Phoebe and I had vanquished a demon. Pretty tough one, too. We couldn't find her in the Book of Shadows."

Barbara asked, "Who was the demon after? Or what?"

The telephone rang. Since Paige stood closer to it, she answered the call. "Good afternoon. Ostera's Herbal Shop. How may I help you?" When the caller proved to be a potential customer, Paige put him on hold. "Sorry guys, this is going to take a while." She then returned her attention to the telephone call, while Barbara rang up Harry's purchases. By the time the call ended, she glanced up and realized that both McNeills had vanished.

-----------------------

The following morning, two visitors appeared at the Giovanni Winery office on Montgomery Street. Cole and Marbus stood before Mark Giovanni's secretary, Kelson, while Cole announced their presence. A minute later, the two demons were ushered inside the wine grower's office. Giovanni offered his hand to the younger demon. "Cole, what brings you here?"

Smiling, Cole answered, "Just checking up on your well-being. Have you hired a new guard, yet?"

Giovanni sighed. "One of my assistants, Kelson, should be handling that little matter, today." He glanced at Marbus. "I see that you've brought your uncle along." He shook the older demon's hand.

"Yes, uh Miles wanted to see you, today." Cole hesitated. "As you know, he's a writer . . ."

Giovanni smiled. "Who doesn't?" He faced Marbus. "Like I told you, last Saturday, I'm a big fan. What can I do for you?"

Marbus replied, "Well, I'm writing a new novel . . . and part of it takes place in the California wine country. And I was wondering . . ."

"Oh! You want a little background information!" Giovanni nodded. "I would be more than happy to help. "Uh, how about lunch, today? Cole?"

A polite smile appeared on Cole's lips. "Sorry Mark, but I have an important luncheon to attend, today. But I'm sure that Miles would be more than happy to join you." He added, "Who knows? You two just might become friends."

-----------------------------

Nina Kriegler strolled nonchalantly into Magan Corporation's executive office and greeted its demonic CEO. Next to Artemus stood his main lackey - Prax. "Well, don't you look like the cat that's swallowed the canary," she commented drolly. "May I assume you were satisfied with Vernoff's job?"

"More than satisfied," Artemus replied. "Your little scheme worked." He turned to his assistant. "Prax, get the lady a drink. Malt Scotch whiskey, I believe?"

Nina smiled. "Excellent memory." As she eased herself into an empty chair, she asked, "So, when do we go after Marbus?"

"Soon," Artemus replied. Prax handed Nina a glass of Scotch. "Perhaps tonight. Prax has delivered some interesting news. According to my spy, Mr. Giovanni had lunch with Marbus, today. Even more interesting, he has invited our favorite demon to his home for dinner. They've become quite chummy."

After taking a sip of Scotch, Nina murmured, "How nice. Why hasn't this spy of yours finished off Giovanni, himself?"

"Because although he's a warlock, he is also a mortal with no active powers." Artemus leaned back into his chair. "Kelson is not what you would call a skillful killer. The police would be on to him, within a minute. He's a better spy than assassin."

"I see."

The demon continued, "And thanks to Kelson, I've learned that my former comrade has taken steps to ingratiate himself to his nephew's client." Artemus' smile widened. "It's perfect."

Nina took another sip. "Perfect?"

"Why yes. Your Mr. Vernoff can send a vision of Marbus killing the mortal to the witch. It should be quite interesting to see how the Charmed Ones react, when they believe that Belthazor's uncle is after Giovanni."

The darklighter added, "And when the witch receives this latest vision, she and her sisters will go after him in an instant." She paused. "Are you sure you don't want to wait until tomorrow? What if the witches find out that they have killed the wrong person?"

A sigh left Artemus' mouth. "My dear Ms. Kriegler, that is why I want Marbus dead as soon as possible. Besides, with Marbus having dinner with Giovanni tonight, it would be the perfect opportunity."

Nina finished the rest of her Scotch and handed Prax the empty glass. "As you wish." She gave the demon a quick nod and teleported out of the office.

END OF CHAPTER 4 


	5. Chapter 5

"A FAMILY AFFAIR" by RFK

CHAPTER FIVE

Jack McNeill summoned his assistant. "Sophie, I need you to reach Chan Wei Ku for me, please. And transfer the call to me."

"Yes, Mr. McNeill," Sophia replied. A minute later, she added, "Mr. Chan is on Line 11."

After thanking his assistant, Jack picked up the line. "Hello? Wei? How are you? It's Jack McNeill."

"Jack! It's good to hear from you." Chan Wei Ku was a private investigator, whom Jack had received help from in the past. Wei's family had emigrated from Canton to San Francisco, when the Communists took over China in 1949. The Chinese-born investigator had been five, at the time. He and Jack first met at Stanford University during the mid-1960s, when both discovered that the other was a magick practitioner . . . and took martial arts lessons from the same teacher. Unlike Jack, who became a Wiccan witch, Wei became a Taoist priest.

After a brief period of small talk, the two friends began to discuss business. "I got a message from you," Jack said. "About the Soma plant. You have some good news for me?"

"I don't know if this is good news, or not," Wei replied. "After your trip to that temple in London, I've been racking my brains. There is this Hindu archakar I had met in Singapore, three years ago. A priest. His name Sri Amal Sharma and he's part of this order located in Sri Lanka. Perhaps I can contact him and tell him about your situation."

Jack replied, "I would greatly appreciate it. One last thing Wei. You remember my daughter's friend, don't you? Cole Turner?"

A pause followed before Wei replied, "Oh yes. Belthazor. I remember him. He was most helpful with getting my cousin a job at his firm. Hmmm, I never thought I would be grateful to a demon."

"Well, this demon has an uncle." Jack paused. "Remember Marbus, from thirty-six years ago?"

A gasp left Wei's mouth. "He-ya! The demon that was nearly killed by witches? The one who was framed? He's Beltha . . . uh, Mr. Turner's uncle?"

Jack added, "On Cole's maternal side. Anyway, Cole's client is Mark Giovanni, who is trying to maintain possession of this property in Oakville. And Marbus is helping him." Jack went on to explain the situation between Cole's client and Magan Corporation. "I wouldn't have brought this up, except that a demonic assassin tried to kill Giovanni, yesterday. And one of Marbus' associates from his order had been killed, while trying to protect the man."

"Why send a demon to kill this Giovanni?" Wei asked. "Why not send a mortal?"

"Good question. My guess is that whoever sent this assassin, knew that Cole was a demon. And wanted to make sure that she kill Giovanni and escape as quickly as possible. And that means . . ."

Wei finished, ". . . the head of this Magan Corporation is a demon. Or someone within the company. Or perhaps the entire corporation is a front for a demon." He sighed. "Too many possibilities."

Jack said, "And that's why I'm asking you to look into this matter. And to start with Arthur Winslow, the corporation's CEO."

"Hmmm, sounds interesting," Wei replied. "I'll see what I can find."

"One last thing, Wei. Please be careful. Like I said, one of Marbus' associates has already been killed." Jack paused. "I don't want the same to happen to you or anyone you know."

"Don't worry. I"ll be careful. And I'll get back to you, as soon as I have some information. See you later, Jack."

The witch replied, "Bye Wei. Take care."

And the two friends hung up.

--------------------

Harry eased his silver Mazda sports car into an empty parking space not far from the Halliwell manor. He switched off the engine, climbed out of the car and made his way to the salmon-colored house. As he paused in front of the door, he glanced up at the sky and inhaled. The heavy, damp air promised rain - either by tonight, or tomorrow. Then he rang the doorbell.

Nearly two minutes passed before someone opened the door. It was Leo. "Harry," he declared, looking surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Harry replied, "I came to pick up Paige. Is she ready?"

Leo hesitated. "Pick her up. Are you two . . . dating?"

Suppressing an annoyed sigh, Harry shot back, "No, I'm here to pick her up for a little shopping trip. Is she ready?"

"Uh . . . just a minute." Leo stepped back and allowed Harry to enter the manor. The witch headed straight for one of the chairs inside the living room. "So," Leo continued, "what will you two be shopping for?"

"A few things. Uh, do you mind letting her know I'm here?"

The whitelighter's face turned red from Harry's quiet rebuke. "Yeah. Sure." Then Leo turned to face the staircase. "Paige! You have a visitor!" He then smiled at Harry, whose own smile was also strained.

The twenty-six year-old witch and the sixty year-old whitelighter never had an easy relationship. From the moment Harry began practicing witchcraft, some nine years ago, he has rejected Leo's attempts to form a whitelighter-witch relationship. Harry resented the whitelighters' assumption that they had every right maintain vigil over witches and enforce their rules and moral code. Unlike Bruce and Olivia - who had also rejected whitelighter authority - Harry had never formed a friendship with Leo. The latter found the young witch's personality too abrasive and slightly ambiguous. And Harry found Leo too self-righteous for his own tastes.

Finally, the youngest Charmed One appeared on the staircase. She shot a quick glance at Harry and quickly made her way downstairs. Her two older sisters materialized from the kitchen. "Harry! Sorry I'm late. I'm running a little behind schedule."

"That's okay," Harry said with a smile. "The store doesn't close until eleven, anyway."

Piper frowned. "What store?"

"It's a store that sells tools and equipment for magick practitioners," Harry replied. "Great bargain prices."

A nervous cough left Piper's throat. "Oh. Uh, Paige? Is it really wise to go there? I mean, what if you meet witches or other people who practice magick? And what if they find out that you're a Charmed One?"

"C'mon Piper! We're not exactly a secret anymore," Paige exclaimed. "Harry's family knew about us, long before we did. So did a lot of warlocks and demons - including Cole. I mean . . . what's the big deal?" Harry smiled, while her sisters failed to answer. He could not have said it better, himself. Paige faced him. "Let me get my purse and then we can . . ."

A gasp left Phoebe's mouth, before her body went stiff. Before Harry could comment, he also gasped. Thanks to his telepathy, he had picked up on Phoebe's premonition. He saw Marbus and Giovanni inside the latter's library. And he saw the demon kill the wine grower with a fireball. Once the vision ended, Harry shook his head. Had he imagined things, or had he also sensed a third presence?

"Oh my God!" Phoebe cried. "It's Cole's uncle!"

Piper frowned. "What about him?"

Phoebe continued, "I saw him kill Mark Giovanni! He's been lying to us, all along!"

"What?" Paige demanded. "Are you sure?"

Recalling the third presence, Harry tried to put matters into perspective. "Wait a minute!" he cried. "There's something wrong here."

"What are you talking about?" Phoebe shot back, bristling. "I know what I saw!"

Harry sighed. "Look Phoebe, I saw the same thing. My telepathy had picked up on your vision. But I . . ."

"Then we all know what we have to do," Piper added grimly. "Vanquish this Marbus. Paige, get the Book of Shadows."

The youngest Charmed One hesitated. Harry could have kissed her. "Wait a minute," she said in an uneasy voice. "Is it possible that Phoebe might be mistaken? I mean - she didn't even have to touch anything."

"Of course I'm not mistaken!" Phoebe protested. "I know what I saw. Besides, my powers might be developing. Look Paige, this isn't the time to hesitate. A man's life is in danger and it's our duty to save him."

"But if Harry thinks . . ."

Leo spoke up. "Paige, I'm sorry, but if Phoebe saw . . . Marbus kill an innocent, she must have done so for a good reason. This isn't a time to raise questions."

Harry shot back, "I think it is! When I saw . . ."

"Excuse me." Piper gave Harry a cool look. "Harry, if you want to help us, fine. Be my guest. Otherwise, you're welcomed to leave. We have work to do." She walked over to the door.

Harry knew a "get out" message, when he heard one. An oath left his mouth, as he stood up. "Look, I think you're making a big mistake. I felt an . . ."

"Good night, Harry." Piper opened the door. Realizing that he had no choice but to leave, Harry stomped out of the house without uttering a word.

Once outside, he quickly rushed to his car and retrieved his cell phone from his jacket. Then Harry dialed the number to Cole's office. No answer. Apparently, the half-demon had left. Then he tried Cole's penthouse. Again, no answer. A frustrated sigh left Harry's mouth. Where in the hell was Cole? The young witch climbed into his car and quickly drove away.

--------------------------

"This is interesting," Piper commented, as she perused the Book of Shadows. "The vanquishing method for Marbus is similar to Belthazor's. Gee, I wonder why."

A dismayed looking Leo asked, "You mean you have to go through the whole preparation, again? The potion and getting a piece of Marbus' flesh?"

Phoebe spoke up. "Not exactly. Why don't we use some of the potion we had prepared for Cole? I know it's been nearly three years, but I think there's still some left."

Leo frowned. "Would it work?"

"Why not? Don't forget I had used some on a member of the Thorn Brotherhood. I mean if it had worked on a 'blood brother' of Cole's, it's bound to work on his uncle, who's an actual blood relative."

"Are you sure?" It was now Piper's turn to look dubious. "I thought it had all been used, after Leo and I . . ." She stopped and immediately closed her mouth.

Paige, who had been observing her family with dismay, stared at Piper. "When you and Leo had . . . what?"

"Never mind. Phoebe, why don't you check the fridge?"

Phoebe left the attic and raced downstairs. Paige, Piper and Leo immediately followed. By the time they had caught up with the middle Halliwell inside the kitchen, Phoebe was waving a small bottle of liquid in triumph. "Eureka! Here's one. There are two bottles left."

"Okay," Piper said, "let's go."

Paige hesitated. "Wait a minute! Are you sure? I mean . . . what if Phoebe's premonition is wrong? She didn't touch anything, when she got it. And what was Harry trying to tell us?"

A frustrated sigh escaped from Piper's mouth. "Paige, this has got to stop. You have to decide . . . right now, on whether you're with us or not."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Piper shot back, "It means . . . that we haven't felt like the Power of Three, lately. You're so wrapped up in the McNeills that you tend to hang on to everything they say. Especially Olivia. And I'm beginning to wonder if you realize which family you actually belong to."

Phoebe added in a warning voice, "Piper . . ."

"Oh, c'mon Pheebs! Why deny it? You feel the same as I do! In fact, you've been complaining about it, for the past several months."

Resentment and anger surged Paige. She hated her sisters' demand that she follow every move they made. And she resented that they seemed incapable of accepting her as a competent witch - even after two years. How could she not help but prefer the McNeills' more steadfast support of her growth as a witch? At least they did not treat her as an amateur. However, Paige did not want to endanger what she had spent the past two years doing - namely becoming a member of her family. So, she heaved a morose sigh and murmured, "Yeah, okay. Let's get on with this."

"Good." Piper took Paige's hand. "Phoebe?" The middle sister took Paige's other hand. "Leo, don't forget to keep an eye on Wyatt. Okay, let's go." And Paige orbed them out of the house . . . with great reluctance.

-----------------

Upon reaching an intersection, Harry reached inside his glove compartment for a slim leather book. His address and phone. He turned the page, until he came upon the information on one Cole Turner. At the bottom of the page was the half-demon's cell phone number. The witch sighed with relief and dialed the number.

A few rings followed until Cole's voice answered, "Hello?"

Harry cried, "Cole? Where are you?"

"I'm on my way home. I had to do a little shopping," the half-demon answered. "What's wrong?"

"I need you to get over to Mark Giovanni's home right away!" Harry replied. "And stop them!"

Cole hesitated. "Stop who?"

"Paige and the others! Phoebe got a vision of your uncle killing Giovanni. Because I'm telepathic, I was able to accidentally see her vision, also!"

Cole practically shouted, "Wait a minute! Marbus is going to kill my client?"

"No!" Harry took a deep breath. "No, you misunderstand me. When I had read Phoebe's vision, I felt the presence of someone else. As if someone had deliberately planted the vision in her mind!"

"Shit!" Cole paused, before he added. "All right. Look, I'm almost at my building. I'll park my car and get over to Giovanni's home. Go on ahead to Olivia's apartment and tell her everything. I'll see you soon."

"Right." As he hung up, Harry hoped like hell that Cole would be able to reach his uncle in time.

------------------------

The Charmed Ones orbed into the middle of Mark Giovanni's foyer. Hearing footsteps, they immediately rushed into the nearest empty room - namely the library. Phoebe glanced around. "I think this is the room where I saw Marbus kill Giovanni," she whispered.

Seconds later, the footsteps grew nearer. The sisters hid behind a large sofa, as two men entered. They were Mark Giovanni, and Cole's uncle, Marbus. ". . . you like to have a drink?" Giovanni was saying. "After an hour or two in my wife's company, I'm sure that you need one."

Marbus responded with an embarrassed chuckle. "Yes, uh, a shot of whiskey would be fine."

As Giovanni turned his back on the demon, Phoebe hissed, "Now Piper!" The oldest Charmed One shot up from behind the sofa and with her hands, froze the mortal.

"What the hell?" Marbus demanded.

Phoebe and Paige joined Piper. "Excuse us," the latter said in a cold voice, before she raised her arm to throw the potion at the demon. Before she could, Cole suddenly appeared. "What the hell?"

The half-demon telekinetically snatched the bottle of potion from Piper's hand, causing the latter to gasp. The bottle then disappeared in a ball of flames. "Cole!" Phoebe cried. "What are you doing?" He then waved a hand and the three sisters found themselves back inside their living room.

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Piper growled. "Harry must have told him. Paige! Take us back!"

"Huh?" The youngest Charmed One seemed frozen in a state of confusion.

Piper cried, "Paige! Now!"

"Wait a minute!" Phoebe demanded. "We need another bottle!" She rushed toward the kitchen, and within a minute returned. "Okay."

Paige stared at her. "Okay what? I think we've lost the momentum!"

Glaring at the younger woman, Piper demanded, "Paige, will you please send us back?"

"But . . ."

"I thought you said that you were with us?"

Sighing, Paige took hold of her sisters' hands. They orbed out of the manor. Instead of returning to Giovanni's home, they ended up on the sidewalk, outside the three-story mansion - on their rear ends.

"Shit!" Piper cried once more. "He's blocked us from orbing into that house!"

Phoebe struggled to her feet. "What do we do now?"

"How about we return home?" Paige suggested. Piper glared at her.

Ruefully, Phoebe agreed with her younger sister. "Looks like we have no choice, Piper." The Charmed Ones linked hands and Paige orbed them back to the manor.

Upon their arrival, they found Leo rushing downstairs. "What happened? I thought I heard your voices." When the sisters failed to answer, he added, "Did you get him?"

"No!" Piper replied sharply. "Cole got there in time to save Marbus. And now, Paige can't orb us back into Giovanni's house.

Anxiety flitted across Leo's face. "My god! Do you think that Giovanni is still alive?"

Paige sighed. "Of course he is. Cole's there."

"Speaking of Mr. Turner," Piper coldly added, "he has a lot explaining to do. Both him and Harry." She glared at Paige once more. Phoebe watched, as the youngest sister looked away.

-----------------------

"What the bloody hell just happened?" Marbus demanded. Uncle and nephew faced each other, inside Giovanni's library.

Cole sighed. "Phoebe and her sisters. Apparently, she had a premonition of you killing Mark."

"Wha . . . a premonition?" Marbus' eyes widened with disbelief. "And why would I want to kill your client?"

"I don't know. You got me. But Harry, who had warned me about their attack, told me that when Phoebe's vision appeared, he had felt another presence." Cole paused. "Harry's a telepath."

Marbus' mouth formed a grim line. "Hmmm, sounds like another telepath has been messing with your wife's . . ."

"Ex-wife," Cole corrected.

". . . messing with her mind." The older demon sighed. "Now what are we going to do? I have three powerful witches after me, and we can't leave your frozen client unprotected."

Cole replied grimly, "Don't worry about Phoebe and her sisters. I'll take care of them. I've already placed a shield around the house, making it impossible for them to return."

Marbus frowned. "You're not going to harm them, are you?"

"I'll try not to." And Cole disappeared.

END OF CHAPTER 5 


	6. Chapter 6

"A FAMILY AFFAIR" by RFK

CHAPTER SIX

Cole finally appeared outside Olivia's apartment and knocked. Seconds later, she opened the door and greeted him with a kiss. "Harry told me what happened," she said. "Did you stop them?" She led him into the living room, where Cole spotted Harry on the sofa.

"Yeah," Cole replied in a gruff voice. "They were about to use the vanquishing potion they had prepared for me, years ago. Phoebe had once used it on a fellow 'brother' from the Thorn Brotherhood. She probably thought it would work on Marbus, since he's a blood relative."

Olivia's green eyes expressed disbelief. "You mean they still have some of that potion, after nearly two-and-a-half years?"

A grim Cole replied, "Apparently, they haven't lost their penchant for leftovers. Remember the power stripping potion that was used on me?" The McNeills nodded. "They had first prepared it, when Prue was still alive. Actually, just before her death. Only," his voice became tinged with bitterness, "Phoebe had kept it in her dresser, all that time." He faced Harry. "What had exactly happened, tonight?"

The youngest McNeill related his visit to the Halliwell manor, including Phoebe's vision and his detection of another presence in her mind. "I tried to tell them," Harry added. "Hell, I was about to argue with them, all night long. But they wouldn't listen." He paused. "Well, except for Paige. She seemed willing to listen to me." Both Cole and Olivia exchanged knowing looks. "But the others overruled her. Especially Piper, who had practically threw me out of the house. Why would anyone go through so much trouble of sending witches after Marbus?"

Cole had no idea. But before he could reply, Olivia answered, "Distraction." The two men stared at her. "It's simple. Whoever wants Giovanni dead must know that he or she can't kill Cole . . . unless his powers are stripped. So, the Magan Corporation hires a telepath to send false visions to Phoebe, hoping the Halliwells would kill Marbus." She paused. "Cole would end up distracted, leaving Giovanni free to be killed."

"And the corporation would be free to buy the Oakville property from Pamela Giovanni," Cole added grimly. "Clever."

Nodding, Olivia said, "Yep, very clever. This means that someone at Magan knows a lot about you and your relationship with both Phoebe and Marbus. In other words, . . ."

". . . he or she is a demon," Cole finished. "Great!" The doorbell rang. The three people exchanged curious glances. Cole added, "Where you expecting someone?"

Olivia shook her head. "No." She stood up and headed for the front door. After a quick glance through the peephole, she faced her two companions, wearing a smirk. "Guess who." She opened the door and the Charmed Ones entered the apartment. "Ladies, how may I help you?"

Cole felt a surge of anger, at the sight of the three witches. His anger increased, as Piper glared at him. "Look whose here." she remarked in a cool voice. She turned to Olivia. "We're here to see Cole."

"Well, you've seen me," Cole growled. "What do you want?"

The oldest Charmed One marched up to the half-demon, still glaring. "Why did you stop us from saving Giovanni?" she demanded.

"You were trying to kill my uncle!" Cole retorted through clenched teeth.

"He was going to murder your client!"

"Bullshit!"

Piper heaved an exasperated sigh. "Phoebe had a premonition!"

Phoebe stepped forward. "She's right, Cole. It's possible that your uncle might not be what he pretends to be. I saw him kill Giovanni."

Cole rolled his eyes. "Like I said . . . bullshit!"

The middle Charmed One's face reddened. "Cole . . ."

"So, where is he?" Piper demanded. "Your uncle."

"With Mark."

The two older Halliwells gasped aloud. "Are you crazy?" Piper cried. "He's going to kill Giovanni for sure!" She turned to her sisters. "Let's go. We'll find another way to get inside that house."

Cole immediately sprung to his feet and blocked Piper's path. "If you touch Marbus, I'll kill you," he said with great menace.

The air inside the living room grew still. Everyone stared at Cole in pure shock - except for Harry, who seemed fascinated by the confrontation between the witches and the half-demon. And Olivia, who warned, "Cole!"

Finally, Piper said, "What did you say?" Her voice had dropped several degrees in temperature.

Cole took a few steps closer to his ex-sister-in-law. "I said . . . if you so much as touch my uncle, you are going to be . . . one . . . dead . . . witch! And I am not joking!"

Paige gasped out loud. A sigh emitted from Olivia's mouth. Phoebe moaned. And Harry's green eyes sparkled with interest. "Are you threatening me?" Piper demanded.

"Yes." Cole allowed his face to hover inches away from the witch's. "I am threatening you, Piper. Stay away from my uncle!"

"He's a killer! You rather save him and let him kill an innocent?"

"The only innocent that will end up dead is Marbus, if you kill him."

Piper shot back, "Phoebe's premonition . . ."

". . . was a fake," Cole finished. "Ask Harry."

The Charmed Ones stared at the telepath, who nodded. "It's true. When Phoebe had her vision, I managed to pick up on it. And I felt the presence of someone else. Someone other than Phoebe or myself. I got the feeling that someone may have been feeding her a false vision."

"That's not possible!" Phoebe protested. "I would have known."

Harry shook his head. "I doubt it. Only another telepath would have known the difference."

"But . . ."

Olivia spoke up. "Phoebe, Harry's right. It's possible that you were given a false vision. It's been done before. Even to those with the power of precognition."

"How do we know that you're telling the truth?" Piper retorted.

Harry looked at the oldest Halliwell, as if she had lost her mind. "Why the hell would I lie?" he demanded.

Olivia added, "Piper, we can prove it. All we have to do is find a way to flush out this telepath. Meanwhile, I suggest that you hold off from trying to kill Marbus."

Piper grumbled, "Great! An innocent man could end up dead, while we . . ."

"Marbus isn't going to . . ." Cole began angrily.

Olivia raised her hand, signaling Cole not to speak. "Piper, please try to relax. You've already failed to kill Marbus, once. He's now on guard and Cole has made it clear what will happen if you do go after him, again. And I think you should consider what Harry has told us. Can you please be patient?"

Her eyes flashing with anger and disbelief, Piper retorted, "Are you really going to take the side of a demon over an innocent . . ."

"Then I gather that your answer is yes," Olivia said, interrupting. "Great! We'll get back to you about that plan to flush out the telepath." She smiled at the oldest Charmed One. "I'll see you later."

Cole walked over to the door and opened. "In my words that means 'get the hell out'!"

Piper glared at the half-demon and marched toward the opened door. A tense Phoebe quickly followed. Only Paige lingered briefly. She shot pleading looks at the McNeills. "Sorry about the mix up," she said, and followed her sisters out of the apartment. As she walked past Cole, they exchanged uneasy looks. He closed the door behind the trio, saddened by the possibility that his friendship with Paige might end over a family feud.

"And how do you plan to prove that Phoebe's visions were false?" Harry asked, interrupting Cole's thoughts. "I thought my word would be good enough.

A silent pause filled the living room. Then Olivia replied, "I've got an idea." She paused dramatically. "We allow Paige and her sisters to kill Marbus. And have Cole seek revenge. Once that happens, I'm sure that Magan Corporation will make its move on Mark Giovanni. We'll just wait and see what happens." Both Cole and Harry regarded her with disbelief.

------------------

"He's still alive," Artemus said to Nina Kriegler, as she entered his library, the following morning. "Marbus is still alive. The Charmed Ones failed to kill him."

Nina frowned. "Are they dead? Did Marbus kill them?"

Artemus glanced at his assistant. "Tell her, Prax."

Prax revealed that according to their warlock spy, the Charmed Ones did appear at the Giovanni home to kill Marbus. Only Belthazor had intervened before the witches could perform the deed. He added, "They're all still alive, by the way. However, from what Kelson had witnessed, the Charmed Ones might be angry at Belthazor."

"Which means they still might believe that Marbus is a threat," Nina added with a smile. "And Belthazor is torn between protecting Giovanni and his uncle. It's perfect."

One of Artemus' brows formed a dubious arch. "Is it? Perhaps the Charmed Ones know they had been set up. Perhaps your telepath should send another vision to the witch."

Nina shook her head. "Not now. Not until we're sure. We could be overplaying our hand. Thanks to the vision, the witches are suspicious of Marbus. And probably Belthazor. I say we wait until Monday and see what happens."

"I only hope you're right," the demon said with a sigh. He paused and stared at the darklighter through narrowed eyes. "By the way, I have an extra job for your warlock. If he's willing to accept it. And if our plan succeeds."

Nina stared at her employer.

-------------------------

Later that afternoon, Olivia, Cole and Jack paid the Halliwells a visit. After Olivia rang the doorbell, Paige appeared at the front door. "Oh," she said, as she stared wide-eyed at the visitors. "Hi . . . umm guys. What are you doing here?"

"Hi Paige." Olivia smiled at her friend. "We're here about what happened, last night."

Paige's face flushed pink. "Oh." She widened the door, allowing the visitors to enter. "Come in."

Phoebe, Leo and Piper with Wyatt in her arms, made their way into the living room. "What's going on?" the latter demanded. She cast a dark look at Cole.

"We're here to talk about my plan," Olivia said. "You said that you would give us a chance to prove that Marbus wasn't a threat. Well, I have a way to prove it."

Leo spoke up. "Piper told me what happened, last night." He glared at the half-demon. "About how Cole had threatened to kill her."

Not again! Olivia rolled her eyes. "Leo, please? Let's put that all behind us, at the moment. Right now, all we want to do is find out who wants the Charmed Ones to kill Marbus."

"I still find it hard to believe that someone could send me a false vision," Phoebe insisted.

Olivia stared at her. "Why?"

"Because I would have known."

"How? You're not a telepath."

The middle Halliwell faltered under Olivia's direct stare. "I . . . I don't know. I guess . . . I guess I would have sensed it. I mean I am psychic."

"Phoebe, we all have psychic abilities," Jack said. "Which is why we possess powers like telekinesis and levitation. Now, I realize that you have precognition and can even guess if time is out of whack . . . at least according to Leo. But do you have any telepathic abilities?"

Phoebe hesitated. "No."

"Are you trained or experienced in detecting and blocking telepathic action?"

She sighed. "No."

"Then there is a good chance that Harry might be right about someone sending you visions," Jack concluded.

Paige said, "What's your plan, Livy?"

Relieved that her friend had returned to the main topic, Olivia revealed her plan. It was simple. The Halliwells were to fake Marbus' death - just as Phoebe had faked Cole's death nearly three years ago - using the old Belthazor potion. Naturally, Giovanni would experience some anxiety over the demon's disappearance. But more importantly, Cole will become "wild" with grief and "hunt" down the Charmed Ones. With Giovanni unprotected, the Magan Corporation minions will eventually make their move on the wine grower. "We'll spring a trap and find out whether or not if Marbus had been set up," Olivia finished.

"What if nothing happens?" Piper asked.

Jack answered, "Well . . . you can make a genuine attempt to kill Marbus, but I wouldn't advise it. I don't think Cole will allow that to happen."

"My God, Jack!" Leo exclaimed. "Are you just going to allow Cole to kill them?"

The middle-aged witch rolled his eyes. "May I ask how any of us are going to stop him, if they do kill Marbus? I guess you better hope and pray that we do learn the truth behind Phoebe's vision. Or better yet that you ladies don't kill the man."

"I believe demon is the correct term," Piper nastily corrected.

"Whatever!" Jack barked. "The fact is, Piper, if you and your sisters decide to seriously go after Marbus, you might suffer the consequences."

Cole added menacingly, "So I suggest that you accept Olivia's plan." He glared at Piper.

At that moment, Olivia realized that Cole was a natural-born ham. Granted, she also felt certain that his threats regarding his uncle had been serious. But there was an element of the theatrics behind his threat. A ham.

"We'll do it," Paige quickly replied. "Right Piper? Pheebs?"

The two older sisters mumbled their consent.

"Okay," Olivia continued. "Let's make the attempt on Marbus' life, tomorrow night."

Phoebe asked, "Why then?"

"Timing. Mark Giovanni has invited Marbus over for Sunday dinner." Olivia gave both Piper and Phoebe stern looks. "And ladies, please remember that you are going to 'fake' his death. And not actually kill him. Right?"

"Whatever," Piper airily replied.

Olivia refrained - with much effort - not to roll her eyes in disgust.

END OF CHAPTER 6 


	7. Chapter 7

"A FAMILY AFFAIR" by RFK

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sunday evening finally arrived. Cole and Olivia appeared in the dining room of the Golden Horn restaurant. A maitre'd fawned over the pair, before leading the couple to one of the restaurant's private dining room. After the maitre'd had left, Cole said to Olivia, "I hope this plan of yours work."

"So do I," Olivia replied, as she picked up her menu. "You know, it's a good thing that Mark Giovanni didn't invite us for dinner."

"He did, but I told him there was an emergency regarding the apartment building and that we would have to cancel."

Olivia stared at Cole, momentarily. "You know, I keep forgetting what a first-class liar you are."

The couple fell into a comfortable silence, as they examined the menu. However, Cole's anxieties about other matters refused to disappear. He continued, "What if they don't fake it? The Halliwells. What if they try to kill Marbus, again?"

"Paige will make sure that Marbus remains alive," Olivia calmly assured Cole. "After what happened the last time, I don't think she will be pushed into that direction, again. And I don't think that Piper and Phoebe will try to make another attempt. Don't worry." She smiled at the half-demon.

Cole tried to gain assurance in Olivia's words and smile, but memories of his past experiences with the Charmed Ones made it difficult. All he could do was cross his fingers and pray. Now if only some deity would be willing to accept the prayers and hopes of a reformed half-demon.

Three figures materialized on the sidewalk, outside Mark Giovanni's San Mateo home. "Paige, why are we here?" Phoebe demanded. "Why didn't you simply or us inside the house?"

Paige sighed. "I don't know. I wasn't sure if Cole had removed the spell to prevent us from entering."

"Might as well find out," Piper murmured. She gave Paige's a tight squeeze. Again, Paige sighed before she orbed them all inside the house. They ended up in a private dining room, where their target awaited.

Marbus sighed with relief. "You finally made it. I began to wonder if you would. Ready?"

"I guess Cole and Olivia told you about the plan," Paige said.

Nodding, the demon replied. "Yes, they did. Now, let's get on with it. My host thinks I'm searching for something that I may have dropped from my pocket."

Paige produced a knife and handed it to him. "Here you go."

Marbus used the knife to form a small cut on the side of his left hand. Then he allowed the blood - which turned out to be red, much to Paige's surprise - to drip on the floor. Phoebe produced a bottle of the potion from her jacket pocket. She held it high above her head. "Get ready to scream," she murmured.

Several seconds passed before Marbus cried out, "What the . . .? How in the hell did you three get in here?"

"A spell!" Piper shouted back. "We're here to vanquish your sorry ass!" She then rolled her eyes in disgust at her performance.

Phoebe tossed the potion at the blood on the floor. Marbus let out a bloodcurling scream, as smoke and fire materialized before the quartet. "Time to go," Paige quickly suggested. And they all immediately teleported out of the room.

-------------------------------------

The woman gasped aloud, as Cole materialized in the middle of her apartment. "Where are they?" he demanded in a harsh voice. "Where are the Halliwells?"

"Who are you talking about?" Eva Niccolli demanded. "And who in the hell are you?"

A cold smile stretched Cole's lips. "Belthazor. Surely the Charmed Ones have told you about me." His smile disappeared. "Now, where are they?"

Although trembling with fear, Dr. Niccolli faced the half-demon with a defiance that he found admirable. "I don't know where they are," she spat out. "And if I did, I sure as hell wouldn't tell you!"

Cole took a few threatening steps toward the doctor. She took a few steps back. "And what if I made you talk?" he suggested in a menacing voice.

"You wouldn't . . ." Dr. Niccolli's chest heaved up and down. "What do you want with them, anyway?"

Chillingly, Cole replied, "They killed my uncle. And I want to repay the favor." He paused and eyed the Gypsy woman, as if contemplating a sure bet. His smile returned. "Maybe I should just take you, instead. I'm sure they will try to 'rescue' you."

"Get out!" Dr. Niccolli screamed. "Get the hell out of here! Before I . . ."

Cole gripped her arm. Hard. Fear widened Eva's brown eyes. "Before you what?" he said with a sneer. Then he relaxed his grip. "If you see your friends, tell them not to bother hiding. Because I'll eventually find them." His cold smile returned. "Good day."

Satisfied with his performance, he finally disappeared.

---------------------

The shrill telephone ring broke Eleanor Read's concentration. She heaved a sigh, as she allowed her attention to drift away from the report on her computer screen. Then she picked up the receiver. "Good morning. Cole Turner's office. How may I help you?"

"Is he there?" an anxious voice cried into Eleanor's ear. The voice belonged to Mark Giovanni. "Is Turner there? I need to speak to him, right away!"

Eleanor repeated the message given to her by her supervisor, over an hour ago. "I'm sorry sir, but Mr. Turner is not in the office, at this moment. He's been called away on a family emergency. Would you like to leave a message?"

"Tell him that I need to speak to him about that family emergency! As soon as possible!"

Suppressing a sigh, Eleanor replied, "Of course, Mr. Giovanni. I'll tell . . ." The line went dead. As the sigh finally left her mouth, Eleanor hung up. She wondered if it was her turn to experience what many of the firm's employees already had - another one of Cole Turner's disappearing acts.

-----------------------------

Prax burst into Artemus' office, looking very excited. "Sir, it's happened!"

The senior demon glanced up from his computer terminal. "What are you talking about?"

"Marbus." Prax paused dramatically. "He's been killed. By the Charmed Ones. Kelson has confirmed it. And now, there are rumors that Belthazor is after them."

Artemus felt a warm flush of satisfaction spread throughout his chest. "And Giovanni? What about him?"

"Kelson tells me that he's in a state of panic over Marbus' disappearance. He's been trying to reach Belthazor, and he has called the police." A satisfied smile curved Prax's lips. "However, Giovanni is unprotected."

A mirthless chuckle escaped from Artemus' mouth. "Perfect. Now, contact Ms. Kriegler and tell her that it's time for her warlock to perform that extra task for me."

"Why not use Kelson?" Prax asked. "After all, he's close to Giovanni."

Artemus rolled his eyes. "Please Prax! Get serious! You know as well as I do that Kelson is a miserable assassin! Remember how he had botched killing that wizard, last year? Besides, I need him to keep an eye on Giovanni's wife, once she becomes a widow. Which means I do not want any suspicion attached to him." Prax started toward the door. "By the way, tell Ms. Kriegler that I want Vernnoff to leave a body behind. That way, there will be no doubt that Mark Giovanni will be declared legally dead."

-------------------

Footsteps echoed across the underground parking lot. Harold Vernoff's eyes watched Mark Giovanni and his fellow warlock, Kelson, strode toward his silver Mercedes. Kelson excused himself from the wine grower, declaring that a file had been left in the offices, upstairs.

After the other warlock returned to the elevator, Vernoff strode toward Giovanni. He pulled a switchblade from his jacket pocket and clicked open a blade. Before he could reach the wine grower, two pairs of hands grabbed his arms. Vernoff started to cry out, but he found himself teleporting out of the parking lot . . . against his will.

"What the hell?" the chestnut-haired warlock cried. He stared at his surroundings with confused eyes. "What the . . . where am I?"

A dark-haired man with blue eyes shoved the warlock into a nearby chair. Vernoff recognized him immediately. Belthazor. "I'll ask the questions," he growled menacingly. "Who are you?"

"None of your damn business!" the warlock shot back. He suddenly found himself, experiencing a shortness of breath. "Aaaugh . . .!"

A red-haired woman with green eyes stepped forward. "I'll stop choking you," she said softly, "when you start cooperating."

Still breathless, the warlock quickly nodded. The choking ceased. Vernoff rubbed his throat, as he glanced around. "What do you . . .?" His eyes shifted from an elderly woman sitting in another chair to a fair-haired man sitting on a sofa with three women. "Oh my God! The Charmed Ones? What . . .?"

"Never mind them!" Belthazor barked. "Just answer our questions. First of all, who are you?" When the warlock failed to answer, he turned to the redhead. "Olivia? Or shall I do the honors?"

The warlock, fearful of another choking session, quickly cried, "Vernoff! My name is Harold Vernoff!"

The elderly woman added, "I've heard of you. You're the witch who had killed off the rest of his coven, in order to get your hands on some pendant."

Belthazor blocked Vernoff's view. "Who hired you to kill Mark Giovanni?" he demanded.

After a long pause, Vernoff answered, "I . . . I was hired. Anonymously."

"Liar!" the elderly woman declared. Vernoff stared at her, as she smirked. "Don't tell me that you can't detect a fellow telepath, when you meet one?"

Vernoff frowned. "How . . . how did you know I was a telepath?"

The elderly woman rolled her eyes. "Dear Goddess! And this man was hired to kill Mark Giovanni?"

"Who hired you?" Belthazor demanded for the second time.

Vernoff glanced nervously at his captors. "I . . . Look, if you expect . . ." He suddenly clutched his head, crying out in pain. "Ow! Stop! That was . . ." He stared at the elderly woman. "You did that to me?"

The old lady coldly replied, "And I'll do it again, if you don't cooperate. Only, it will be a lot worse. You may be a talented telepath, but so am I. And I'm a lot better at it. I'll make sure that you'll end up dead with an aneurysm . . . slowly. So talk."

Belthazor shot the old bag an admiring glance.

"Alright!" the warlock conceded. "A darklighter had hired me. Her name is Nina Kriegler." The fair-haired man gasped aloud. Vernoff continued, "I was hired to not only kill Giovanni, but send false visions to one . . ." He paused and shot anxious glances at the Charmed Ones. ". . . to one of the Charmed witches."

The witch with the shoulder-length hair shot up from the sofa. Vernoff realized that she was Phoebe Halliwell. "You're lying!" she protested angrily.

Vernoff shrugged. "If you say so." Belthazor gripped his shoulder, sending spasms of pain throughout his nerves. "Ow! Okay, okay! I'm not lying!" He rubbed his aching shoulder. "I did send her those visions."

Phoebe now loomed over Vernoff. "There's no way you could have sent me false visions," she insisted. "Not without me knowing."

Exasperated by the witch's denials, Vernoff regarded her with contempt. "What are you talking about? Of course I can! I'm a telepath! There's no way in the world you could have detected my presence in your mind, without being one. Ask the old lady. Besides, I managed to do it to you, twice. First, with that demon bodyguard. The one from the Gimle Order. And later, I had sent a false vision of some demon named Marbus."

Belthazor frowned. "What demon bodyguard?"

Shrugging, Vernoff replied, "I don't know her name. Andrea or something. All I know is that she had been sent by the Gimle Order to protect Giovanni. Nina Kriegler hired me to send a false vision of her killing the man to the witch - oh, about last Monday or Tuesday."

"Oh my God!" One of the Charmed Ones cried out in shock. Vernoff noticed that her red hair did not match her dark eyes. Obviously a dye job. Was this the half-breed? "That demon we had killed - she was from the Gimle Order?"

The last Charmed One stood up, shaking her head in disbelief. "It was a demon," she said in a shaky voice. "She was trying to kill us."

After a long pause, the red-haired Halliwell added, "At first. Then I think she tried to . . . oh my God! We had killed an innocent?"

"That's impossible!" the long-haired Charmed One protested.

Vernoff said, "Look, all I know is that I had sent a vision of a female demon with dark hair and blue eyes, dressed in a security uniform, and killing Giovanni to one of the Charmed Ones. The one with the power of precog . . ." The seer's fist snaked out struck him on the jaw. He sagged against the chair, throbbing with pain.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Phoebe screamed. "You used us! And you violated me!"

Rubbing his jaw, Vernoff protested, "It wasn't personal! Just business. I can't help it if you witches are so willing to kill a demon at first . . . oooof!" The seer had delivered another punch - this one to the stomach.

Belthazor grabbed the seer's arm and dragged her away from the warlock. "Not now Phoebe!"

The fair-haired man, whom Vernoff assumed to be the Charmed Ones' whitelighter, demanded, "Are you saying that Nina Kriegler is behind what's been going on? Why is she so interested in Cole's client?"

"How in the hell should I know?" Vernoff shot back. "She had never explained to me what was going on! But I think she was hired by a third party. Someone with a lot of money."

Belthazor demanded, "Who?"

"I don't know!"

Heaving a sigh, the half-demon faced the elderly telepath. Who nodded wearily. "He's telling the truth." Glancing at the stricken Halliwells, she added, "About everything."

Belthazor's gaze returned to the warlock. "I want you to summon this Nina Kriegler."

"And tell her what?" Vernoff demanded.

"Tell her . . ."

The red-haired witch with the green eyes finished, "Tell her that a problem has arisen over Mark Giovanni." She glanced at the Halliwells. "Meanwhile, do you guys still have those crystals Prue once used on Cole? Because I think we're going to need them."

------------------

Inside Harold Vernoff's apartment, Leo shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe this! I can't believe that Nina Kriegler is behind this."

Paige glared at her brother-in-law in frustration. "She's not! Remember the Magan Corporation? For God's sake, Leo! We just found out that we had been used to kill two members of the Gimle Order. And all you can do is worry about an old buddy being a darklighter?"

"Of course I'm concerned that you've been used!" Leo retorted. "It's just that finding out about . . ."

Olivia interrupted the pair's conversation. "Paige, are you ready?"

The Charmed One heaved a sigh. "Yeah. Let's get on with it."

"All right," Cole said, squeezing the warlock's arm. "As soon as we're in your bedroom, summon her." He leaned close. "And don't forget that we're watching." He headed toward the bedroom, with Leo close at his heels.

Vernoff sneered at the retreating half-demon. "Arrogant bastard!" He glared at Olivia. "I'm a telepath. And that old bag isn't with you. What if I . . .?" He started choking.

"Just a reminder of what can happen to you, if you try to betray us," Olivia said in a menacing tone. "And besides," she waved an amulet worn around her neck, "we have protection against your power." Paige wore a similar amulet.

The two witches joined the men in the bedroom. From there, the quartet watched Vernoff summoned the darklighter. "Nina? Nina!"

A dark puff of smoke appeared, followed by a slender woman with short pale blond hair. Paige overheard Leo's sharp intake of breath. "What is it?" the darklighter demanded. "Is the mortal dead?"

Vernoff shook his head. "Not yet. There are . . . problems."

Frowning, Nina Kriegler shot back, "What problems? What's going on?"

Right on cue, Paige and the others returned to the living room. "We're the problem," Cole replied coldly.

Before anyone could stop her, the darklighter produced a knife and slit Vernoff's throat. Blood rushed from the warlock's throat before he finally slipped to the floor, dead. Then Kriegler tried to teleport out of the room, but Paige cried out, "Crystals circle!" She pointed at the darklighter, and seven white crystals formed a circle around the latter. The darklighter grunted in dismay, as she failed to escape.

Paige knelt beside one crystal and touched it. Blue sparks lit up the darklighter's body. She cried out in pain.

"If you don't cooperate," Olivia said, "you'll remained trapped in that ring for a long time. We can arrange it."

Nina Kriegler's eyes expressed confusion and pain, as she stared at her captors. Then she focused upon the whitelighter. "Leo? Leo Wyatt?"

Leo's mouth formed a grim line. "Nina." He shook his head. "I can't believe it that I would see a former colleague as a whitelighter."

The darklighter rolled her eyes with contempt. "Oh please! Spare me the dramatics, Leo! I really don't need to hear anymore whitelighter crap!"

"It used to be your kind of crap," Leo shot back. "My God, Nina! What happened?"

"What do you think happened?" Nina sneered. "I saw the light."

"Wha . . .?"

Nina sighed impatiently. "You don't understand, do you? The whitelighters are doomed, Leo. Your day is over. The moment you stopped doing your real job and started this idiotic war with the Source's realm, you doomed yourself."

"May I remind you that the Source's realm is in chaos, right now?" Leo retorted.

Nina snorted. "Yeah, thanks to the prophecy that the Elders made sure that the Source would receive. They've been planning his destruction for centuries. All because of their arrogant belief that they can wipe away evil from this earth. Idiots!"

"So, that's your reason for becoming a darklighter? Because you disapprove of the Elders?"

With a shrug, Nina replied, "Not quite. The real reason I became a darklighter is . . . I guess I realized that I couldn't stand being a whitelighter any longer. I had it with following the orders of self-righteous bores who consider themselves superior to others. I've been dealing with people like that during my life, and as a whitelighter. Being a darklighter gave me the freedom to be myself. My true self. And with all of the trouble starting over the Source's death, I thought it was a good time to switch sides."

"Well, switching sides isn't doing shit for you right now!" Cole retorted. "So enough of your bullshit and tell us who had hired you. Who's behind the Magan Corporation?"

A sneer marred Nina's pretty face. "I wouldn't know. My memory is a little faulty."

"For God's sake, Nina!" Leo cried. "Tell us the truth! Try to remember that you were once a whitelighter."

Nina rolled her eyes again. "Please! I've been trying to forget that for over a year."

Paige glanced to her right and noticed Olivia whispering in Cole's ear. A malicious smile slowly curved the half-demon's lips. Finally, Cole broke away from the redhead and inched toward the darklighter. "Since your memory seemed to be faulty at the moment, perhaps I can help you."

"What do you mean?" Nina warily asked.

Cole continued, "One of the new powers I had acquired since my return from the Wasteland is telepathic manipulation. All I have to do is simply make you tell the truth."

"You can't . . ." The darklighter's face turned pale.

"Who hired you to set up Marbus?" Cole concentrated his gaze upon Nina. "C'mon Nina. Tell."

Paige watched in fascination, as the darklighter struggled, before she automatically opened her mouth. "It was Auuuu . . ." She began to scream, as flames suddenly engulfed her body.

"Cole!" Leo cried. "What the hell did you just do?"

An appalled-looking half-demon retorted, "That wasn't me!" Nina Kriegler's screams finally ended as the flames disappeared. A pile of ashes - remnants of her body - remained on the floor. Cole angrily cried out, "Shit!"

Paige sighed. It looked as if the Magan Corporation had managed to cover its tracks in time.

END OF CHAPTER 7 


	8. Chapter 8

"A FAMILY AFFAIR" by RFK

CHAPTER EIGHT

Inside the family library, Jack McNeill was busy browsing through a book on Hindu mythology, when Davies interrupted. "Pardon me, sir," the manservant said in his usual soft Welsh accent. "You have a telephone call. It's Mr. Chan."

Jack heaved a sigh. "All right. Transfer it to here, Davies."

"Yes sir." The manservant left.

Minutes passed before the telephone on the desk rang. Jack picked it up. "Hello? Wei?"

"Hey Jack! I have some news, regarding your plant."

Hope swelled within Jack. "Oh? What is it?"

The Taoist priest revealed that his other acquaintance, the Hindu priest he had met in Singapore, has met with the head of his order in Sri Lanka. Amal Sharma's leader has agreed to take possession of the Soma plant. Wei added, "They would like you to deliver the plant, personally. At least within two months, if possible."

"Oh God! India in September!" Jack heaved a sigh. "All right. I'll be there." He paused. "Are you certain that this priest can be trusted with the plant? And not use the plant for himself?"

Wei assured Jack that the Soma plant would be in safe hands. Apparently, it had been safely kept by the Natha Sampradaya Temple for several centuries, until a rogue priest had stolen it during World War II. The plant had been missing ever since. "Would you mind if I join you?"

"Frankly, I was about to ask," Jack replied wryly. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to make the trip." His mind switched to another topic. "Oh, about that other matter we had discussed . . ."

A pause followed before Wei replied, "Oh yes. The Magan Corporation. I've. . . uh, I've found some interesting news about the CEO."

"Like what?" Jack demanded.

Wei continued, "From what I've learned, this Arthur Winslow was born on May 23, 1951, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."

Impatience welled within Jack. "Yeah, Cole had already told us. Winslow was born in 1951, attended Northwestern University between 1969 and '75 . . ."

Wei interrupted, "That is not what I had found out."

Oh oh. "What do you mean?"

The Taoist priest continued, "There was an Arthur Winslow, who was born in Pittsburgh in 1951. Only he had died eight years later in a car accident. Hit-and-run. Whoever is head of the Magan Corporation is not Arthur Winslow. It could be that he's not even . . ."

". . . human," Jack grimly finished. "Why am I not surprised?" He described the events surrounding the attempts on Marbus and Giovanni's lives. "So, the Magan Corporation might be headed by a demon. I just wished that we knew his or her real name."

A pause followed, before Wei asked, "Would you like for me to continue with the case?"

Jack sighed. "Let me think on that. I'll get back to you, later. And thanks, Wei."

"No problem. Let me know when you change your mind. Bye." The telephone went dead.

-------------------

Cole stared at both Olivia and Marbus, as if they had lost their minds. "Apologize? To Piper? Why?"

Rolling her eyes, Olivia replied tartly, "Oh, I don't know, Cole. Because you had threatened her life?"

The half-demon retorted, "She had wanted Marbus dead! Hell, she tried to kill him!"

"Don't forget that the other two sisters also tried to kill me," Marbus reminded him. "Were you planning to kill them, as well?"

A frustrated sigh escaped Cole's mouth. "Well . . . they weren't so intent upon killing you, like Piper." He paused. "Look, you're family, Marbus. I mean, I had disobeyed the Brotherhood and the Source for you" He turned to Olivia. "Wouldn't you have done the same if someone had threatened a member of your family?"

Olivia hesitated, before she finally admitted, "Yes . . . I would." Then she gently began to caress Cole's face. "But honey, it would have been the wrong thing to do. And I hope you would have reminded me."

A touch of shame replaced the hostile anger within Cole. Again, he sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll apologize."

A smile illuminated Olivia's face. She slipped her arms around Cole's neck. "Good! We can drop by the Halliwells' place, tonight."

Cole grimaced. Then he peered from the corner of his eye and noticed the slight smile on Marbus' lips.

---------------------

The grandfather clock rang eight o'clock. The inhabitants of the Halliwell manor ignored it and focused their attention upon the television set before them. Then someone sighed. Phoebe realized that it was Paige.

"Would anyone like to change the channel?" the youngest Charmed One asked. "Because I'm not really looking forward to watching ENTERPRISE. It's not exactly one of my favorite shows. Especially since I've seen this episode before."

"Paige!" Piper's voice bridled with barely contained patience. "Do you mind? We want to watch the show."

Paige demanded, "Why? None of you really like it."

Leo shot back in a firm voice, "I do."

The youngest sister rolled her eyes in disgust and more silence followed. Phoebe tried to focus her attention on the sci-fi show, but could not maintain it. Besides, Paige had been right. Aside from Leo, no one really liked ENTERPRISE. Yet, it seemed apparent that no one wanted to bring up the real reason why the Trek show seemed so interesting, tonight. No one wanted to bring up the subject of Cole's uncle - Marbus. And the lengths that the Magan Corporation had taken to kill the older demon and distract his more powerful nephew.

It galled Phoebe that she had been such an easy target of that telepathic warlock. She had assumed that her talents as a psychic would enable her to detect anything wrong with her premonitions. Then Phoebe remembered Barbas - the demon, whose telepathic abilities had made it easy for him to play with the minds of Cole, and all of the Halliwells - including hers. Not only did she feel embarrassed, but also violated. If Cole had not stopped her, she would have beaten that warlock to death.

The doorbell rang, interrupting Phoebe's thoughts. Paige stood up. "I'll get it," she said. Seconds later, Phoebe heard her exclaim, "Olivia! Cole! Hi! What are you guys doing here?" Then, "Oh."

Startled, Phoebe, Piper and Leo gazed at the visitors entering the house. One of them happened to be Cole's uncle, Marbus. Both Piper and Leo stiffened at the sight of the two demons. "What's going on?" Piper demanded.

Marbus maintained an air of serenity, while Olivia stared pointedly at an uneasy Cole. Then the half-demon shifted from one foot to another. "Um, well, the reason we're here . . . I mean, I'm here to apologize."

"Apologize?" Phoebe frowned.

Nodding, Cole continued, "Yeah. For threatening to kill Pi . . . uh, all of you. You have to understand - Marbus and I are very close and I was concerned for him. And when you guys tried to kill him . . ."

Phoebe felt a surge of guilt. Not only for their attempt to kill Marbus, but for the death of that other demon. They had all been so quick to jump to conclusions. Despite Harry's warnings, or the fact that she had "received" her visions without touching anything. And yet . . . an apology refused to grace Phoebe's lips, let alone an acknowledgement of Cole's apology. If they had been wrong about Marbus, there was a chance that they might have been wrong about other matters concerning Cole.

In the end, Paige apologized, while Phoebe and Piper uttered incomprehensible grunts. "That's okay, Cole. We don't really blame you for getting upset, especially since he was your uncle. I mean . . . I would have done the same." She paused, as a nervous giggle escaped her mouth. "Come to think of it, we have."

"Oh." A blank look appeared on Cole's face. Phoebe noticed that he seemed dissatisfied with her and Piper's response. And uncomfortable with Paige's recollection of his reign as the Source. He turned to Olivia and nodded. "I guess it's time that we leave."

Piper gave him a cool smile. "Well . . . good-bye."

Embarrassed by Piper's hostility and her own failure to apologize, Phoebe spoke up. "Ummm, how's Mr. Giovanni? How did you explain what happened, last Sunday?"

Cole and Marbus exchanged a brief glance. "Actually, we didn't," Cole finally said. "We tried to think of an excuse. In the end, I told Mark that an investigator had warned me about a possible hit man going after him. And that he had mistaken Marbus as the target. And that last Sunday night, the killer struck, but Marbus got away. He, uh . . ." Cole's eyes pleaded for help from his uncle.

Marbus added, "I was so frightened by the attack that I left and didn't contact Cole until Monday."

"Sounds a bit lame," Paige mumbled. Both Cole and Marbus stared at her. She flashed a wan smile. "But I guess it worked. Huh?"

Cole winced with discomfort. "Yeah."

"It more than worked," Marbus continued. "I've been invited by Mark to join him at his family estate near Santa Rosa, next week. It would be a good opportunity for me to keep an eye on him."

Paige asked, "And what about this Magan Corporation?"

Olivia replied, "We think it's owned by a demon. Only, we don't know his or her name. Dad found out that the real Arthur Winslow had died some forty-four years ago . . . at the age of eight."

"What does he want with Giovanni's property?"

Cole shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows? I'm just curious about who this demon is."

"Maybe it's the new leader of the Thorn Brotherhood," Piper suggested.

Marbus shook his head. "Oh, I doubt that Nimue is involved in this Magan Corporation. Trust me, I would have known if she was."

Everyone stared at the older demon. Phoebe noticed that Cole seemed slightly exasperated by his uncle's comment. Piper frowned. "Who is this Nimue and why do you think you would have known if she . . .?

Cole sighed deeply. "Nimue is my mother. She also goes by the name of Elizabeth Farrell Turner."

Phoebe asked, "And what does she have to do with the Brotherhood?"

A pregnant pause followed. Then the half-demon finally answered, "Because Mother is the new leader of the Brotherhood."

The news took Phoebe by surprise. Both Paige and Piper gasped out loud. "And when did you plan to tell us?" Piper demanded.

"When the subject came up," Cole pointedly shot back.

Phoebe opened her mouth before she realized what was happening. "My God, Cole! You should have told us when it happened! Why did you keep it a secret for so long?"

"I just told him over a week ago," Marbus announced quietly. "The Saturday before last. Why . . .?" He gave the Charmed Ones curious glances. "Why are you all so concerned? Trust me, Nimue is not involved with this Magan Corporation."

"It's just . . ." At that moment, Phoebe realized that she was being upset over nothing and quickly shut her mouth.

Piper spoke up. "It's nothing." She shot a dark glare at Cole. "We were taken by surprise. That's all."

Cole continued, "By the way, Marbus and I had also told Andrea's parents about her death. We both thought it was necessary if they knew the truth."

Panic filled every fiber of Phoebe's being. If the parents of this Andrea knew that the Charmed Ones had killed her, they might decide to take revenge. How could Cole . . .?"

"Are you crazy?" Leo angrily cried out. "What if this demon's family decided to go after the girls in revenge?"

Olivia rolled her eyes before searing Cole with an annoyed glance. "Don't worry, Leo. They won't. Andrea's parents know that this Winslow was behind the whole thing. In fact, they want him vanquished as much as the rest of us." She elbowed the half-demon in the side. "Right Cole?"

"Oh. Uh, I guess I forgot to add that, huh?" An insincere smile curved his lips. Then he glanced at his watch. "Boy, we really need to get going." He turned to Olivia. "Ready?"

A long-suffering sigh left the redhead's mouth. "Yeah, sure." Then she added, "By the way, ladies, when do you want to resume those lessons? We have two more to go."

The Charmed Ones exchanged uneasy glances. "Well, how about next . . ." Paige began.

"We really don't know when we'll be available for more lessons," Piper quickly replied, earning a glare from the youngest sister.

Olivia's eyes continued to stare at the three sisters. "Are you sure? I would be more than happy to . . ."

With a tight smile, Piper quickly added, "Yeah, we're sure."

"Okay." Olivia sighed. "Well, let me know when you'll be available for more lessons."

Marbus also smiled. "Good night, ladies." Cole muttered something incomprehensible. And the two demons and the witch left the house.

"All right, everyone . . . breath," Piper commented wryly. "You all look as if you're about to burst your bubbles."

Paige turned to the oldest sister. "What the hell was that about us not being available for more lessons on the Craft?"

Phoebe simmered. "I can't believe that Cole had told that demon's parents that we killed her. What was he thinking?"

Leo glared angrily at the closed door. "He never thinks! That's why he always get into so much trouble! And why didn't he tell us about his Mo . . .?" He glanced up, signaling to others that he had been summoned by the Elders. "I've got to go." He disappeared in a flurry of lights.

Paige glanced at the grandfather. "Oh, what a shame! ENTERPRISE has gone off." Phoebe rolled her eyes and left the living room.

------------------

Artemus sat inside his private office, staring at the view beyond the large windows behind his desk. The intercom box buzzed. "Mr. Lloyd is here, sir," Prax announced.

Sighing, the demon wearily replied, "Let him in." Seconds later, the attorney entered, literally vibrating with anticipation. "You seemed to be in a good mood, Mr. Lloyd. You have some news?"

The attorney smiled. "Not exactly good news, Mr. Winslow, but . . ." His smile grew wider. "I have an idea."

Artemus' anticipation dimmed. "Oh. Really? What is it?"

"Eminent domain." Lloyd sat down in one of the chairs opposite Artemus. "It's a ruling set down by any form of government agency that allows a company to acquire property for "public use", so long as the government pays "just compensation." His smile widened. "If a company wants to purchase property in which the public will benefit - like for schools, parks, roads, other public buildings . . . and the elimination of blight through redevelopment . . ." Lloyd paused dramatically. ". . . the government can exercise its power of eminent domain even if the owner does not wish to sell his or her property."

Comprehension dawned within Artemus. "And how do we go about convincing a government court that Giovanni should sell the property to us?"

Lloyd replied smoothly, "By finding a judge willing to rule in your favor. All we have to do is convince him or her that your purchase of the Oakville property will benefit the public. Preferably, a judge who is willing . . ." Another dramatic pause followed. ". . . to overlook the corporation's brief history with lawsuits. And accept a bribe."

Artemus shook his head, impressed by the mortal's ruthless scheme. And to think that he had wasted his time trying to distract Belthazor. "Interesting. Very interesting idea, Mr. Lloyd." He nodded. "Work on it."

"Yes sir," Lloyd said with a smile. He turned on his heels and walked out of the office.

Artemus leaned back into his chair with an air of satisfaction. If all went well, he would have his hands on the Oakville property. And the object that lie beneath.

--------------------

Leo strode toward the Council's chambers, when a voice called out his name. "Leo!" It was one of the Elders. "Over here!"

The whitelighter detoured from his path and joined his superior near a column. "You were the one who summoned me?"

The Elder nodded. "Yes. Walk with me." The two whitelighters began to stroll along another corridor. "I had summoned you, because I've discovered some distressing news about Belthazor."

"So have I," Leo added. "I found out . . ."

The Elder held up a hand. "Let me speak first." According to Leo's companion, another whitelighter - one who happened to be a seer - had foreseen a future that threatened the present state of good and evil. "Eloise saw Belthazor . . . and the McNeill witch bring about the emergence of a new Source and the reorganization of the Source's Council."

The news struck Leo with the impact of a thunderbolt. "What?" His voice raised an octave. "That's . . . are you saying that Cole will become the Source again, and Olivia, his queen?"

"Fortunately, the news is not that dire," the Elder replied in a wry voice. "Eloise had seen him and the witch help a demon become the new Source."

Leo hesitated. "Is it Marbus?"

"Are you referring to Belthazor's uncle?" The Elder added, "No, not him. But there will be a new Source because of these two. We cannot allow this to happen."

A helpless feeling overwhelmed Leo, as he recalled Cole and Olivia's visit. "About this demon we might be dealing with . . . I've received some interesting news myself. I found out that Cole's mother is the new leader of the Thorn Brotherhood." He paused. "Did Eloise envision a woman as the new Source?"

"I'll have to speak to her, again," the Elder replied.

Leo added, "I don't know what I can do about Olivia and Cole. I have no control over him. And Olivia . . . well, she hasn't followed any of my orders since her first year in college."

Silence followed, as the two whitelighters continued their stroll. Then the Elder said, "What about the Vodoun priestess' premonition? Have you considered it?"

Leo frowned. "Premonition? You mean the one about Olivia . . .?"

". . . vanquishing Belthazor," the Elder coolly finished. "Yes, that one. I believe it is time to put it in motion."

"But how? I mean . . . should we?"

A sigh emitted from the Elder's mouth. "Good heavens, Leo! Where happened to your memory? Remember the McNeill's witch's theory? The one about vanquishing the Source?"

Leo stared at his superior in shock. "But . . . it wouldn't have worked! And it certainly won't work against Cole, who's even more powerful."

The Elder paused. And stared at the junior whitelighter, as if the latter was a child. "Well Leo, it obviously will work. Especially if the Vodoun priestess' vision is accurate."

Realization slowly trickled into Leo's brain. "Oh. But . . . killing Cole?"

"Leo, that man . . . or should I say that demon will help resurrect the power of the Source," the Elder sternly pointed out. "And didn't you just tell me that his mother now heads the Brotherhood of the Thorn?"

Memories of Cole's revelation, along with his threats against the Halliwells rushed back to Leo. The whitelighter's expression hardened. "I understand. I'll get on it, right away."

THE END 


End file.
